Blood and Steel
by The Blue Zoo
Summary: What happens after the defeat of the Last Battalion, when Integra is pressured into marriage by the Queen and parliament? IxA
1. Late Hours

Hello! This is my second fiction. I plan to make this an ongoing story… so this is only the first chapter. I enjoy getting reviews, so please feel free to write your thoughts on this piece.

Enjoy!

------

A sigh escaped the lips of a woman, from which a half burned out cigar limply hung. Integra Hellsing sat at her large oaken desk, her head bowed over some papers as she worked and smoked, her two usual habits that taxed her daily. It was an amusing thought that possibly Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing would die of lung cancer or stress rather than at the hands of some vampire or ghoul, creatures she fought without fear and hesitation.

Her ice blue eyes began to droop. It was late, and she still had so many papers to sign. Who knew that so much work would pile up after the defeat of the last battalion? Ashes dripped from the tip of her cigar onto the official looking document in front of her. Thoroughly tired and frustrated, she pushed the ashen paper to the side of her desk in an annoyed way.

She didn't feel quite herself this late hour. Maybe from hardly eating anything, or from overworking her already stressed out brain, or perhaps from chain smoking one too many expensive cigars… but all she knew was that she was tired out of her mind. She was not attired usually… her heavy, unflattering coat was slung over her chair, and her necktie laying limply on her desk. Her shirt was unbuttoned enough to show the cleavage made by her shapely, but underexposed breasts. Her pants were wrinkled, and she had kicked off her shoes, her sock clad toes wiggling absentmindedly in their woolen sheaths. In other words, she looked a tired, un-stately mess. It was most definitely time for some sleep.

As she stood up, the hairs on the back of her spine prickled in an uncanny way. Alucard. After living with him for over a decade, one becomes attuned to his presence.

"Servant… come out from wherever you are lurking… I am in no mood to play mind games."

A deep, airy chuckle was emitted from unseen lips. Then a shape began to materialize from the darkness in a corner. A tall frame loomed over her, silently padding towards her. The figure was unmistakable. The large, red coat the deep, luxurious color of blood, a necktie to match, a hat widely brimmed, and orange glasses that covered his crimson eyes. Topped off with shoulder length black hair that framed his pale, angular face, he stood in his full glory. Alucard. The no life king.

"Master…" He said in that languid, unsettling tone of his.

"You are no longer startled by me. You never cease to amaze. You become more like the undead every day… you are indeed very keen on who is in your presence. Very sharp…"

He chuckled again, the sound deep and reverberating. "…For a human."

Integra frowned, lines forming at the corners of her mouth.

"Do not compare me to an unholy median freak, Alucard. I am of no disposition to be trifled with. What do you want?"

"Master…"

Alucard uttered in a teasing way. He circled around to the front of her desk, so they stood face to face. He was at least a head taller than her, but that did not mean Integra was not a force to be reckoned with. She was as strong a woman as there ever was. Strong as steel, cold as ice, and unfeeling as any of the undead. Many wondered if she herself was one of the abominable creatures she hunted with such zeal, but those eyes… eyes that pierce like knives, eyes of an unearthly shade of blue, betrayed her. She was only human. But more than a match for anyone who may be stupid enough to challenge her.

"… I only came to wish you a good night. Have you seen what a beautiful evening it is? Why, the moon is positively radiant."

He crossed the room, and slid open a curtain, letting the pale moonbeams shine down into the lamp lit room. This soft, flattering light fell on Integra in a way that made her almost seem demure, the way it shone with ethereal brilliance off of her wheat hued hair, and caught her skin in a pale glow. Her neck, exposed by the lack of collar, was immaculate, long and elegant, in the half light.

Alucard, on a scale of one to ten, would rate his master's neck an eleven. Be this out of true affinity for the gentle curve of muscle and skin that connected her head to her shoulders, or out of partiality to Interga would remain a mystery.

"And I do enjoy what you wear this fine evening. You usually leave more to the imagination, but I enjoy the change of scenery. You should amend your wardrobe so that all of your outfits look like this."

Integra frowned, but made no motion to button up her blouse. Any such motion would show weakness… show that she didn't want to be seen like this, and that she wasn't on guard. And if there was one thing about Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing was that she was always on her guard.

The lines at the corners of her mouth deepened.

"Don't toy with me, _Servant._" She said, her tone taking on a snappish chord.

"If you have nothing useful to say, then leave. Now." Alucard smirked that insidious smile of his.

"Touchy this evening, aren't we. Could it be possible that it's because the Queen is throwing a ball in honor of you and your triumph over the Last Battalion?"

"Shut up, Alucard."

She hated it when he sifted through her mind. It made her feel stupid and exposed. A low growl rose in her throat.

"…But you know full well that this 'social' event is only put in place to try to find you a husband so you can continue the family line. Those bastards just won't leave you alone. You save the world and it still isn't enough… they want to get you a consort as well."

"Enough, Servant."

"And you don't even have a partner yet for the ball."  
He made a tsking noise by clicking his elongated tongue against his sharp, pearly fangs.

"You think the master of the great and illustrious Hellsing organization would be competent enough to get a chauffeur…"

"ENOUGH!"

Integra's eyes blazed with a cold fury. She grabbed the letter opener off of her desk, the blade shining in the moonlight. She hurled the thing at him, and it hit him square in his chest with a sickening 'thud'. It had sunk three inches deep into his flesh.

Alucard laughed. Integra had known full well that such a trifling little weapon would not pose any danger. She threw the letter opener out of anger, not out of intent to kill. Alucard pulled the weak little weapon from his breast, the wound healing almost instantaneously. He dropped the letter opener on the ground beside him.

"You know, Integra. If you want me to go with you… all you need to do is ask."

"GET. OUT. NOW."

Her temper had rose to a boiling point. She would not have any more of his nonsense. She was of Hellsing blood. No damned creature of the night would make a mockery of her. Anger shone in her eyes like the extreme heat of a blue fire. Alucard bowed a low, sweeping bow before her, his hand making an outward motion as he completed the his regal acknowledgement of Integra's superiority.

"As you say, it shall be done, Master."

And with that statement, he fazed out of the room, leaving her presence.

Integra stood behind her desk, rubbing her temples. All this work, A stupid ball, an impending marriage to some stinking noble pig, and that annoying servant of hers who took such pleasure in vexing her. Honestly... who was he to imply that she would actually _enjoy_ Alucard as her escort? He drove her mad most of the time, so she didn't even want to know how badly he possibly may behave at a social event. What had she done to disserve such trying ordeals and company?

She brought her hand to her face and rubbed her temples tiredly as she picked up her coat and headed for the hallway, shuffling in her shoes that were only half on her feet. She more than needed some sleep.

Alucard stalked around the manor, with no aim in particular to this little walk. His treacherous grin was still plastered to his face. Master. He loved see her loose her temper. Integra was a hardworking, stoic creature of habit, with a fury that anyone would cower before. She was positively radiant with anger when she lost her temper. It was a glorious sight to behold. Integra was prone bursting into fits of rage now and again. She certainly was an enigma to work with. And truth be told, Alucard wouldn't have it any other way. She couldn't have been more perfect.

** ----------------------------------------------------------------**

...And, Finito! At least... for the first chapter. I plan this to be a rather long story, so bear with me on it. Please send me a review telling me how you liked this first installment.

Cheers!


	2. Gowns and mirrors

Here's the second chapter! Thank you all so much for all the posative reviews. The more reviews I get, the more encouraged I am to write. I'm glad to get the second chapter up so soon. Enjoy.

* * *

"Walter, Absolutely not." 

Integra stood with her suit-clad arms crossed, staring pointedly at a dress being held up by her ever faithful butler, Walter. He seemed a bit exasperated with this woman who had been like a child to him for so many years. Though she needed no protection, as was obvious by her dangerous demeanor, he was still obliged, as a servant to her father, to watch over her.

"Please, Sir Integra… You know you must go to this ball in all formality. It wouldn't be a sound idea for you to go in one of your usual suits. Try something a bit more flattering."

The butler was exceedingly patient with her as she eyed down the dress he held out for her. It was indeed a graceful outfit, but she couldn't see herself in it. She couldn't imagine actually looking like a lady. The shoulder straps were thin, and the neckline drooped low and elegantly. The waist would be fitting, and then the hem widened at the bottom, so the dress would be loose and flowing around her legs. The garment its self was made of a soft imported silk, and dyed a bright crimson. The color of blood. The color of death.

Integra made a 'harumph'-ing noise at the gown.

"You really expect me to wear that? No one will take me seriously. I am a Knight, with the blood of Hellsing coursing through my veins. I am no coy, reserved woman, who wears little dresses and needs a man for her protection. I will wear one of my suits, as always."

A strong look of weariness was most apparent in Walter's eyes. She had a will of iron that was in no way flexible.

"Sir Integra… would you at least try on the gown? It's been specially made. Once you actually put it on yourself, you may find it less detestable."

Integra frowned. She couldn't see how she would have her opinion in any way changed once she put it on. Putting on the dress would only confirm her suspicions that the thing would look absolutely horrid on her. Integra would never admit to it, but she was self conscious of her body. She was thin, with a long waist, and barely any hips. Her breasts were shapely, but small. She was ugly and boyish. No, she would much rather hide behind one of her militia inspired ensembles. A large coat and long pants, garments that exposed not a single inch of skin, save her face. Even her hands were concealed with white gloves that were so often stained with cigar ashes.

"Fine."

She said coolly, taking the dress from Walter, and slinging it over her arm. She didn't hold the expensive thing nearly as tenderly as he had, probably because she had absolutely no respect for the item. Dresses were for ladies, not for a rigid, unyielding woman who bore the heavy burden of noble blood.

"That will be all, Walter. If I intend to wear this… gown… I will inform you promptly. But otherwise, please prepare my suit for me… the black one. Have it cleaned and pressed."

Walter smiled. At least she was giving the damn dress a chance, how ever microscopic it may be.

"As you wish, Sir Integra."

Walter whisked out of the room, shutting the large, oaken door behind him with a gentle thud. Integra still had that implacable frown on her face. She would not enjoy this. Locking her bedroom door so that she would not be disturbed, she began unbuttoning her suit. Damn stupid way to spend time… trying on gowns when she should be working. And the ball was tomorrow. Shit.

She threw her coat onto the bed, and then worked at her cravat, pulling out the silver cross pin, and unbinding it from about her neck. She unbuttoned her white dress shirt, pulled down her pants, and kicked off her shoes.

She stared at her almost bare figure in the mirror. She had a raw boned, svelte and almost curve-less form. She was in no way womanly enough to wear a dress. Damn it. Damn it all. She didn't want to make any public appearance. Throwing her clothes onto the bed, she took the dress from its hanger, and slid it over her skinny frame. Reaching behind her, she tried to zip up the back, but every time she groped for the tiny zipper, it fell shy of her hands. Another reason why she didn't wear dresses. They were too hard to get on.

She felt a cold hand reach for her lower back and pull the zipper all the way to the top, until it was between her sharp shoulder blades. She was surprised for a moment, but concealed any emotion she had. Her face was blank.

"What do you mean by this, Alucard?"

That infuriatingly unsettling smile still lingered about his thin lips. Lips that all too well knew the taste of blood.

"Integra…"

Her name on those cursed lips made a shiver trickle up and down her spine.

"Watch your place, Servant. You do not address your master so informally."

"Of course… Sir."

Still standing behind her, his lips were very close to her ear. Grinning malevolently, Alucard raked one of his bony, white hands through her long, wheat hued hair, lifting it and letting it sift through his fingers. Integra looked at herself in the full length mirror. She stood there in front of it, her posture tall straight and regal, dress clad and her hair moving of it's own accord. According to her reflection, no one stood behind her, gently tugging at her radiant blonde locks. Of course. Vampires did not have reflections, one of the few pieces of lore about them that was actually true.

"Did I ask you to touch me, Slave? Remove your hand at once. Just because I am in a dress does not make me any different a woman than I am in a suit."

Her voice was tough and sharp, and Alucard let his hand drop. He knew full well that she would carry the same iron clad mental armor she had, in any type of outfit. He was just teasing her. He couldn't resist. He loved to rile her up, to bask in the heat of her fury that emanated from her when she had her buttons pushed one too many times. Her power over him, over all of Hellsing was attractive. Strength of mind, when channeled, is a beautiful thing, like diamonds that cut like razors.

"However, you look more a woman in a dress than a suit."

His grin widened, as her angry frown deepened. This little skirmish of words would probably end as it did a few nights ago. Integra would loose her temper, impale him with something sharp, and then he would retreat.

"I know."

That was an answer he had not been expecting. He could read minds, yes, but he often didn't choose to. It didn't make his un-life fun, being omnipresent. Though he could usually predict what next Integra would say, he usually didn't run rampant through her thoughts, unless he was really curious.

His eyes widened slightly, intreagued. You never knew, with her.

"I had come to inquire whether or not you would be needing an escort to come with you tomorrow evening."

It was a question she had dreaded to answer. She considered for a moment having Walter go with her… but he had to chauffeur her there and back again. There was no respectable way he could attend as both a driver, and an escort.

One of her troops? No… too low. The thought of Enrico Maxwell crossed her mind. She smiled inwardly. As if she would ever be taken somewhere by that Vatican piece of shit.

Alucard. He was all there was left. Did she need an escort? Having one would probably mean she would have to dance less… and Alucard would certainly scare off most of the suitors who may be brazen enough to cajole her into a waltz. How she would hate to give him the satisfaction of going out with her… but he was the most obvious, and the least foolhardy choice.

"Yes… You will be required to come with me tomorrow eve."

"Is that an order?"

She sneered. Alucard… that brazen bastard. He wanted her to say it. Admit that she was ordering him to come to a dance with her. Ah, how the mighty fall. He didn't have to go unless she ordered him. How he took such pleasure in vexing her. Her eyes hardened like ice.

"That is an order, slave."

Alucard grinned like a madman and disappeared. Once she felt his presence vanish, Integra slumped down onto the bed. Going to a ball with that insufferable wraith of a creature… this must be some sort of divine punishment. Integra looked at herself in the mirror again, to find she really looked the same. The same, not of appearance, but rather of demeanor. Even in a slinky crimson gown she looked cold and unfeeling. She both reveled in, and despaired at this discovery. It was a comfort to know she looked as strong in a dress as she did in a suit. But some small part of her found it sad that still she did not incite any other emotion than coldness. She was an ice queen. She always would be. She was made to be serious, taciturn, and rigid. She was no pushover little girl.

She unzipped the dress and slipped it back onto the hanger, attiring herself normally once more. Holding the dress on its hanger, she left her room to go back to her study. She had more paperwork to do. As she walked down the hall, Walter was seen coming towards her. He dipped his head in a polite bow.

"I have just sent your suit to be cleaned."

He said with a smile.

"There will be no need, Walter. Please, take this dress to be ironed out. I want to be able to wear it tomorrow night."

She handed him the gown and began walking down the hall once more. As Walter took the dress to be cleaned, a grin rose on his lips. Integra was an unpredictable woman.

* * *

Second chapter complete! I hope you enjoyed it. Please, feel free to send me any questions, comments, advice or requests. 

Cheers!

(I do not own Hellsing or any of it's brilliant characters. I damn well wish I did, though.)


	3. A Waltz and a Shooting

Third chapter is here! DUN DUN DUN!

The story unfolds, and it gets a little spicier. Please, rate, review, and ENJOY!

* * *

"Drive Faster, Walter, I don't want to be late." 

"You do know, Sir Integra, that it can be fashionable to be late."

Integra rolled her icy eyes from behind her round, gold rimmed glasses that glimmered in the moonlight that seeped through the tinted windows of the black limousine. She was tempted to reach into the little purse she had brought along with her, and take out a cigar to start puffing. That would certainly calm her already high strung nerves. Better not waste her last resort this early in the evening. She still had a whole night ahead of her. She had to deal with the Queen, knights, nobles, parliament, and of course, Alucard. He would be meeting her there. Being a vampire, he could travel as fog or bats, and didn't need to be driven around.

She sighed softly, and looked out the window. Here they were. Buckingham palace. Where a royal ballroom would be decorated and filled with guests and expensive food… all for her. Integra didn't feel like keeping her oath to protect queen and country was exactly worthy of a social event of this magnitude… but she knew there were alternative reasons that this gathering was being held. Damn all of them. As if their feeble attempts to set her up with some rich and snobby noble would prove in the least way fruitful. If anything, she would scare them all permanently away, and then she would have some peace of mind.

Walter stopped in front of the palace, who's gates were open to accommodate all the arriving guests. Integra's ever faithful butler parked the long black limo, and walked around the side of the car to open the door for his lady. Integra put one stiletto clad foot out of the door, and stepped up out of the expensive car, much more fashionable than was per usual for her. Of course, she wore the beautiful blood red silk gown she had tried on yesterday, but a few embellishments had been added to her outfit. Black stilettos wove an intricate array of straps around her small, elegant feet, which were rather pale, seeing as she just about never wore shoes that exposed her toes. A little silver cross, a delicate and effeminate piece of jewelry hung from around her slender neck, and a little silver bracelet from around her thin wrist. Her hand clutched a small black purse, which was ornately decorated with little black glass beads. Her hair, beautiful and pale, was swept from her neck, and done in a delicate up-do, her hair pinned to her head in an intricate and lovely way, though deviant strands of hair that had managed to escape curled about her long, thin neck… a neck most admired by the man who took her hand as she stepped out of her ride.

"You look lovely, master."

Alucard smiled as he planted a gentlemanly kiss on her small, exposed hand. Even when the kiss had ended, the cool feeling his lips had instilled lingered on the top of her ungloved hand. She glanced at her escort for this evening. Alucard. He cleaned up well, for an undead heathen mongrel.

Instead of wearing his usual red ensemble, Alucard had opted for a more conventional and respectable form of dress. His tall, lanky frame was garbed in a fashionable suit of the blackest black conceivable, with burnt ivory buttons and silver cufflinks. His trousers were long and black to match his suit jacket, and a red tie, the color of her dress was fastened to his neck, resting beneath the collar of a white cotton dress shirt he wore beneath the suit. Integra wasn't fooled though, by his gentlemanly appearance. Though he may seem a dove, his feathers are but borrowed.

"Don't waste your flattery."

She said flatly in that commanding, cold tone of hers. She didn't want to be bothered with him and his antics at this moment.

"Remember, you are to be on your best behavior. No untoward remarks or profane innuendoes, no scaring the guests, no harassing woman, be polite to the Queen, and no death threats."

"I will keep that in mind, Master."

"You will do well to."

Integra took her escort's arm and Alucard led her into the palace. They handed in their invitation at the door to a pageboy, before they were lead to the grand ballroom. Their silence was marked only by Integra's steady footsteps, her heels making a clicking sound against the polished marble floor. Doors were opened by servants, so the pair could enter the great room. The majority of the guests were already in attendance, the halls lined with tables of food. A small string quartet played in the corner, the soft, tasteful music permeating the room. The swank and snobbish air of the place disgusted Integra. The crowd parted to let Sir Hellsing and her escort through, so they could make a proper greeting to the Queen, who sat regally in an ornate chair at the head of the room. They walked down the long hall, all people stopping to stare. People who knew Integra stared because of her manner of attire. She was positively lady like, which came as a shock to people who were familiar with her masculine ways. All the others stared at Alucard, for though he looked the part of an aristocrat, his red eyes, and paper white skin were still the unsettling marks of one of the undead.

Before the throne, both master and servant fell to their knees in reverence of the queen. It was an odd sight, to see Integra take a knee rather than curtsy as any woman should. Not all her manly ways had been disposed of.

"Rise, Lady Integral Fairbrooks Wingates Hellsing, Knight and leader of The Hellsing organization."

Integra got to her feet, as she had been directed.

"You have my many thanks for your service to me and my country. You are a great asset, and I am grateful to you for your unfailing allegiance to the crown."

Integra dipped her head in a reverent bow.

"It is my duty and my honor as a Hellsing to serve God, my Queen and my country."

The queen smiled at Integra, and then turned to Alucard who still knelt as was respectful for him to do until addressed.

"Rise, nosferatu Alucard. You have been instrumental in the protection of this country."

Alucard stood to his full, impressive height, now dwarfing Integra.

"I am obliged to protect My Master and her country."

The queen was sufficiently pleased with both of their very formal introductions. She raised her crystal chalice full of wine up into the air, and said in a loud voice directed to all the congregation of people,

" I propose a toast, To Lady Integra and the Hellsing organization. May you and your organization prosper."

A crowd of voices sounded in the long hall, resonating against the walls of the grandiose room. The noise was overpowering in the great unison as the hundreds of people raised their glasses and said,

"To Lady Integra, and to Hellsing!"

Almost all drank to this toast. Integra frowned. Sir Integra. She was SIR Integra. But she would not be so impertinent as to correct the Queen. After all, her official title as a night was Lady. She just didn't like to be addressed in that manner. Alucard's face looked strangely blank and unreadable. She eyed him curiously for a moment, her blue eyes flashing from behind her glasses. He was being strangely placid thus far. But you could never trust a vampire, especially Alucard. She wasn't about to let her guard down yet.

"And Now, Lady Integra, would you and your escort do me the honor of starting off the first waltz of this evening's celebrations? It is only fitting that the guest of honor dances first."

Integra's usually healthy complexion paled half a shade, only noticeable to Alucard. She was good at hiding her emotion, but he could detect the discomfort that emanated from her. Integra knew this 'request' given to her by the queen was more a command than an optional favor. She had hoped to avoid dancing this night at all costs… but that seemed inevitable now. And with all eyes on her and Alucard, she knew that kind words and a fancy decline would not let her wiggle out of this one. The quartet struck up a chord that resounded in the hall.

Alucard grinned. It wasn't every day he got to see his master in such a compromising position, with her back up against the corner and no chance to escape. It made his insides writhe in twisted pleasure. Integra was obviously most adverse to the idea of dancing with her servant, but as he offered her his arm, she had no way to refuse. They walked out as a pair into the center of the ballroom, every patron of the ball standing with their eyes glued to him.

Oh how Integra silently seethed. Alucard had that smug little grin upon his face as he wrapped his arm around her slender, dress clad waist, and she, in turn put a delicate hand upon his shoulder. Their bodies were so close. Alucard reveled in their proximity… his heightened senses caught everything… the steady rise and fall of her chest as she took deeply inhaled breaths, the smell of stale cigars upon her lips, and the sweet, lingering scent of some spicy perfume, coupled with the trace salty fragrance of sweat. It only made him grin more.

Integra, however was not so amused. But she had not the time to hurl insults and sulk about having to dance. The waltz had begun.

The waltz was a slow, lilting dance, with a steady three beat rhythm, that Integra found herself unconsciously counting along to in her head. One two three, one two three… The beat went on and on. She was glad to have taken those formal dance lessons, even if they were so long ago. She didn't feel very graceful, and it was hard for her to step in those blasted heels of hers. She longed to kick the painful things off and break them to bits.

Alucard, however, would have begged to differ upon her opinion of her grace. True, she may not be the best dancer, but she was more graceful than any other woman he had been in the acquaintance of was. Her grace was of an unconventional sort… the type of elegance that is coupled with power and poise. As the two twirled across the dance floor, all eyes upon them, it was easy to tell who carried the power between the two. Despite the fact that Alucard could have crushed her like a twig, with minimal effort on his part, Integra held the leveling block. Her blood protected her, and her sheer force of will kept her servant in line. However deviant he may seem at times, Alucard was still obliged to serve her.

A frown laced Integra's lips. This was not at all a pleasant experience for her. She would infinitely prefer being at home, doing paper work. She felt stupid in her little gown, being lead spinning about the room by some half-mad vampire. But it had to be admitted, however reluctant she was to acknowledge this fact, that Alucard was a supremely gifted dancer. It was almost surprising really, that one who lived to kill and hack apart bodies could possess such a graceful and tender natural talent. He swept across the floor with a liquid grace unmatched by any mortal. A pretty good dancer, for some undead guy.

The couple twirled across the dance floor, a magnificent blur of ebony and scarlet. Their feet moved so deftly with the music, their bodies in such unison… it was almost ethereal how well attuned to one another they were. They danced in utter silence, eyes locked in a silent battle. Alucard stared deep into Integra's eyes of fierce, impossible blue. It was so easy to get lost in their icy depths. Integra's gaze was as unwavering as his own, but possibly for different reasons. She stared him down defiantly, making it clear that she was in no way to be solicited after this incident. Having danced with him would change nothing between the two. She was still master, and he, servant.

After the first many bars of music had been played, more couples were lead out onto the floor, and began to follow in the suit of Alucard. Once many couples had filed on to the marble floor, Integra made her breakaway move. Letting go of Alucard, she tore away from his gentle grip, striding away from the floor in a most purposeful way. The floor was too crowded for anyone to really notice her stopping her dance, as she fled for a private balcony. She needed peace. She needed to be alone. She needed a cigar, god damn it.

Alucard stood alone on the floor for a minute, watching her scarlet clad figure dart away. He chuckled. He wasn't done with her yet.

Standing outside, the cool night air drifted about her body, as did the spicy, smoky scent of some expensive imported cigar that hung from her lips. She hadn't brought that damn cumbersome purse for nothing. The tobacco had an immensely calming affect on her already tense nerves, and she was more than happy to stand in the evening air, overlooking the royal garden with a cigar in hand. Thank god she had escaped in time… otherwise, she may have blown a gasket or two.

Alucard strode out into the moonlight to where his Integra stood in silent revelry. Sliding the glass door shut behind him, the two stood in silence for a moment, staring at each other. The moon was cool and pale against her skin, making her look icy and cold, an accurate reflection of the demeanor withheld by her woman's frame. Alucard, in a brazen way, took a few steps forward, mere inches separating the two of them. She puffed a lung-ful of cigar into his face.

She frowned deeply at him. Came to gloat had he? Nothing less could be expected but for him to crow over his victory. She said nothing, but stared at him coldly. Maybe if she ignored him, he would give up on his attempts to vex her and go drive someone else up the wall.

Alucard had a very small smile on his face, a mere ghost of what his usual grin was. His eyes did not glitter, however, with the malevolent mirth that usually accompanied his malignant smile. His red optics were all seriousness. It was strange to see him so stern and pensive… that was usually Integra's job… to keep him in line through her single-mindedness.

"Don't you know smoking is bad for your heath?"

Alucard said in a cheeky, audacious way as he plucked the cigar from her lips, and dropped it to the ground, where he crushed the smoldering thing with the heel of his expensive wingtips. Integra's eyes gleamed with fury, and his, in turn, with delight.

"Since when have you cared about my health? I demand to know what you wa-"

She was stopped short, Alucard having closed the gap between them, and stopped her mouth with a kiss. It was shocking really, and had been wholly unexpected on Integra's part. His lips moved gently against hers in a tender, but demanding embrace. His body was pressed against hers, as his tongue searched for further entry past her lips, seeking to deepen the kiss. She felt his fangs nibble her lips so deliberately, and was almost taken aback by how human her monster seemed when he wanted to.

Being human, she wasn't wholly immune to the charm the kiss posed, but she remained stiff and unyielding to him. Her lips did not part, her body did not melt, she remained stiff, straight and cold. Any normal woman would have squealed, squirmed, or shrieked at such unwanted advances, but then again, Integra was not a normal woman. She let him have his ephemeral bit of fun. He would pay dearly later.

Alucard stopped when he realized he was getting no where fast. She couldn't have loathed it that much though… she had made no attempts to run, or dole out bodily harm. He stepped back, trying to read her stern, emotionless face. He grinned widely, his fangs flashing in the moonlight.

"See? That wasn't so ba-"

It was Integra's turn to interrupt. She, however, did not suspend his sentence with any gesture nearly as kind as a kiss. She had removed a small revolver from her purse and pointed it at his head, pulling the trigger without a moment's hesitation.

She fired.

BANG.

The first shot she let fly hit Alucard square in the forehead, driving itself deep into his face.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!

She pulled the trigger again and again, blowing copious amounts of lead into his skull. The grotesque of crunching bone was heard as each shot penetrated his face, splattering blood in every direction, droplets of the red liquid flying onto the glass door, the balcony floor, and onto Integra and her beautiful crimson gown. She felt so fulfilled as she felt the kick of the gun behind each shot, as she watched each round pierce his head. Was this how Alucard felt when he tore apart the undead? Because it felt, so damn good. She grinned like a madwoman as each shot was fired. Her revenge was sweet and swiftly dealt. She knew the meager lead bullets would not kill… but it was still satisfying to see him standing there, his face mangled beyond recognition.

"Know your place, servant, and know that I am not your toy to be used and discarded. A mockery will not be made of Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. I shall deal you your true punishment later. I do not want to see you again tonight."

Though a satisfied smile lingered on her lips, her voice positively seethed with an unrequited anger. Alucard made no motion to reply with some pert, saucy remark. He just stood there, almost dumbfounded, with blood dripping down his face and onto his expensive suit. Soon his undershirt was as red as his tie, the brilliant and gory hue of ingested blood.

And with that she turned on her heel and left, walking out into the hall, where all stared in horror and wonderment. They had seen most of what had happened, at least, the part where she blasted his face near off his head. The many gunshots had been hard to miss. What a sight she was, in full formal regalia, her hair wild from the furious exertion she had just exhibited. Her face and arms were splattered with her servant's blood. A perfectally serious, stoic look was upon her maw.

"I am sorry my Queen."

She addressed her majesty.

"I had to dispose of some trash. I regret to inform you that I cannot stay any longer, due to some urgent and pressing matters that have just been revealed to me. I must therefore, leave. I thank you for the wonderful party you have thrown in your servant's honor, and I am humbled by your good graces. Again, I thank you, and must depart."

She bowed curtly, before parting the crowd to leave, unaccompanied. It was true… she was no more a women in a dress than she was in a suit. If anything, the formality of the occasion had made her claws really come out. She would go home, bathe, and do her paper work, and think of a fitting punishment for her servant.

What to do to him?

Alucard stalked the night streets of London. His bullet wounds had long since healed, and his face was no longer marred and bloody, though his shirt was still stained a bright red. His attentions hadn't at all been received the way he had expected. He had been thinking he would be dealt a smack, or a punch to the chin… not a whole round of bullets to the head. But that was Integra for you. When she was angry, her fury was complete and marvelous. It had been a wonder to behold. And she hadn't seen it, but as each shot was fired, he had been grinning in masochistic pleasure at it. He loved it when she demonstrated her power.

He only hoped his next punishment would be as quasi-erotic as her shooting him.

'Leather, whips and chains ought to do it.'

He thought to himself, chuckling at his little jest as he stalked into the inky black abyss of night.

* * *

Finito! 

I'm going to need a little help with the next chapter... I want suggestions on a good punishment! Help me think of something good, and not too out of character...

I still don't own Hellsing.

Damn.

Hope you like my story thus far!

Cheers;

Kimi-Taco


	4. Screaming over spilled Ink

Chapter four is up! It is a relatively short installment... nothing much to say here. The next chapter should be pretty thick though... I plan to start delving into the plot more. I hope you like it thus far, and enjoy!

* * *

The next few days at the Hellsing manor were quiet. After the whole fiasco the ball turned out to be, the whole of the staff thought it best to let Integra smolder for a while. They all figured she wouldn't have cooled down from the whole calamity until a few days had passed. All these judgements were wisely passed. Integra, not in the least bit inclined to be sociable after what had happened took her meals by creeping down to the kitchen, had her mail delivered through the crack beneath her door, and spent most of her time in her office, clad in a dressing gown and slippers. She didn't want to be bothered with reality, with people, with anyone really. 

Even Alucard was apprehensive about paying her one of his frequent visits, visits that were set up for the sole purpose of annoying her. He could feel her emanating a silent fury… nursing her anger in a way not unlike the manner a cow ruminates its cud. He could feel her seethe, wallowing in her own anger, until she would eventually snuff herself out, the way a fire dies from using up all the oxygen it has in a closed chamber.

The unsettled agenda between the two of them had to be ended. It was better to do it sooner than later.

Integra sat at her desk as per usual, mulling over paperwork. She was growing tired of it really…. She had done so much nonstop over the past few days that she longed to get up and walk around. The fire that had culminated inside of her had finally reached its breaking point, the way a fever heightens dramatically before a great plunge. Her taut nerves were beginning to unwind, though frayed at the edges and a little worse for the wear. Any more couldn't really be expected from her… the ball was over but there was still much left in the manners of the conduct with her Majesty she had to attend to. A suitable husband had to be found, and a child sired. Shit. Like some wild creature, she had been backed into a corner, with no chance of escape, wedged between a rock and a hard place.

Moving her glove clad hand to dip her pen in the inkwell, her bony wrist hit the rim of the inkwell. The little glass phial tipped, black liquid running all over the vintage Victorian desk, the official documents on it, and onto the floor.

"SHIT!"

She screamed, shaking a big splotch of ink off her hand. The sleeve of her suit was now stained beyond repair. 2000 Pounds of custom fitted, embroidered, imported fashion down the drain. Not to mention the papers that now had to be copied, and the 10,000 Pound desk that needed to be repaired or replaced.

"Is now a bad time?"

A venomously calm voice came in the direction of her doorway. Alucard. He had actually cared to use the door, for once, albeit the fact he did not have the courtesy to knock. How very like him... to use some common courtesies, and totally neglect others.

Integra's head shot up, her ice blue eyes glaring daggers at him. There obviously had been no forgiveness of his actions towards her.

"Do you think I could have possibly forgotten about what occurred the night of the ball, or are you just stupid to come here?"

Her voice rang with aggression, the way a rabid dog growls and snaps at the hand that feeds them. She stared him down, no part of her in any way showing submission. Alucard carried a strange expression. He wasn't carrying his usual cocky grin of his. He almost looked as taciturn as she often did… What the hell was he up to? Integra snarled. The fucking wanker better not try anythig remotely akin to what he had done four nights.

"Yes… I remember what happened. And as I recall, you gave a grossly over exaggerated answer to my attentions. A kiss hardly merits getting bullets pumped into one's face. Have you considered anger management classes at all?"

The grin may not have been there, but his sarcastic humor was still lingering in his manner of address. It only made her snarl more prominent.

"Then you should know, I am going to exact my judgement… The bullets will not be my only retribution."

"Tell me, Master, what punishment will you bestow on your slave? I am ready to accept whatever you see fit."

She searched his face for a moment, looking for the hidden joke to his last statement. When she found none, she was even more enraged. What was she to do? She hadn't thought of a fitting punishment for him. Frankly, over the past few days, she had been avoiding any thoughts that might be related to the ball and the incident that happed at the said occasion. She didn't want to incite any more anger, but now she found herself ill prepared. What was a fitting punishment for his trespasses?

The dungeon? No… that was too good for him. Prohibiting missions? That could prove dangerous… not necessarily to Hellsing as an Organization, but rather to the security of the country. Alucard was their trump card. No… if he was needed, she couldn't in her right mind stop him. How about locking him in a room marked with seals, and then reading him the bible? Too tedious… she didn't want to sit about all day, reading him scripture. How about mortal labor? Yes… something arduous and testing… something that would take a damn long time to do.

"You are going to scrub the troop's bathing quarters clean… with a toothbrush."

It was the only thing she could think of. It was hard for her to be pressed into things. She needed time to think… to calculate. The prospect of Alucard scrubbing a bathroom with a toothbrush proved nonsensical and absurd. She would be sure to take a photograph of it. Maybe it wasn't so lame a punishment after all, once she gave thought to it. She had been thoroughly humiliated… now he would be. A smirk crossed her thin, tulip hued lips, taking the place of the dissatisfied grimace.

"Master… you can't be seriou…."

He let the sentence hang. Her smile had faded, and her eyes stared dead into his. There was no mirth in them any longer. She was serious as death its self. There was no arguing with her when she was this determined.

"I order you to do as I have said."

"And it shall be done."

He knelt, bowing low before her, for a moment, before he drew himself up to go and carry out this most undignified task. A grin passed over his features, as if he had just discovered something. Truly, his revelation had come as a shock, though one not wholly unexpected, and definitely not detestable.

"You enjoyed it… didn't you?"  
He said in a wily, matter of fact tone.

"What the hell do you mean by that? What did I like?"  
Her face remained stern and unyielding.

"When I kissed you… you liked it."

Integra's bronze skin paled until she was a blotchy hue of parchment. Her eyes were rather wide at his implication. Her mouth made a delicate little 'O', as if she had been a child, caught doing something naughty. Her bright blue eyes, paler and colder than the sky were wide with shock.

"I… I…"  
She was at a loss for words. What way was there to retaliate?

"Don't deny it. I see your thoughts."

"Get out."

"If you in…"

"**I SAID, GET THE FUCK OUT!**"

Her face had contorted from utter mortification to a look of passionate rage and vehemence, a feeling that radiated from her soul, an attack of wild, unrestrained fury that made her blaze like fire.

"**GET OUT AND GO SCRUB THE FUCKING BATHROOM!**"

The anger inside of her icy exterior had burst forth again. Alucard was trying her perseverance with his antics too much as of late. This time, she wasn't fooling around. She had been humiliated two times over, and there was no room for lenience in her voice. She didn't need to impale him, or drive bullets through his brain to get him to see the picture this time. He left without further protest or lament, walking back through the door and shutting it behind him, a triumphant smirk upon his maw.

He had won this round. And Integra knew it. And she was furious.

"**ARRRRRRRRRRRGH!**"

She screamed in an animal-like way, signaling to everyone in earshot that Alucard had probably just drove her up the wall again, and that she would not appreciate disturbances at this hour. Once he had left, she grabbed the near empty ink well in her black stained hands, and threw the jar with crushing force against the wall. She watched it shatter, staining the wall a blotchy, splattered black. Content with her expression of violent anger, she slumped back down in her chair, and pulled out a cigar from her stained desk drawer.

Nothing like tobacco to help one relax.

* * *

And done! I hope you enjoyed this little installment! 

The reviews have been great to read. Thanks for all the support and such!

I still don't own Hellsing. Sorry to dissappoint.

-is pelted with tomatoes-

Happy camping!

Kimi-Taco


	5. Decisions Made

Okay... chappie five is up! Read and enjoy, baby!

I plan to make this a long piece. I don't want to rush anything, so bear with me on the unfolding of the plot. :D

* * *

"Lady Integra… you know we are perfectly serious when we say that you need to procure for yourself a husband very soon. May I point out that you aren't getting any younger, and that failure to produce an heir will result in the downfall of your organization, an organization which is a key asset in the protection of our country?" 

The queen sat at one end of the table in the great meeting hall, councilmen lining the sides. Integra sat at the end opposite her highness. Though there was civility in their address of one another, the air was tense, the two woman staring one another down like hawks in a territorial battle. There was no air of friendly formality here, as had been at the ball. This meeting was laid down strictly for business.

"I assure you, your Majesty, that I know the severity of this situation."

The queen frowned; her age wizened face wrinkling in displeasure.

"You do not act like you are aware of the real gravity of these circumstances. Were you really trying to make amends to the problem at hand, you would have tried harder at the ball to mingle. We had invited many young noble men that you might find one of them favorable to consider him for your suitor. "

It was Integra's turn to frown. It had come to this. Even the Queen was trying to marry her off. The pressure by the knights and parliament had been rather concealed… but this definitely was not a masked attempt at prodding her into matrimony. She had to get married.

She may as well sit in a corner and whine for a husband. She would probably get as good a husband that way as if parliament had a marriage fixed. He was probably going to be rich… the stinking son of some wealthy parents from which he had inherited all his money. The only man who would, in his right mind marry her would be one looking for power, marrying for power. Integra was indeed a powerful woman, with much influence on the crown. Only a man grubbing for good graces with the Queen would want a position as the leader of Hellsing's husband. Damn it all. Marriage was an inconvenience to be sure, and so would children be. How was she to run an organization, be a wife, and rear a child properly? The Queen was obviously over confident in Integra's abilities, or unaware of the workload that being a leader, a wife and a mother would carry along with it.

"Well, I did not have much time to mingle, at the ball. I had an unexpected situation to deal with…"

"That situation would not have arisen if you could keep your vampire pet in check."

One of the councilmen said in a very rash way. Integra glared coldly at him for a moment, before regaining her composure. She could not loose her temper here, not in front of the only people she really needed to show respect to.

"Integra, we all have been rather patient with you. We have asked you… now I need to command you. If you do not marry within the month, I will hereby claim you irresponsible to your duties, and unfit to be in such a position of power. You will be stripped of your title as leader of Hellsing."

Stripped of her title? Was she being threatened? Oh, the prospect was a terrible one… stay in power, but on the arm of some snobby pig, or give it all up for the sake of keeping some blasted wedding band off of her left ring finger. Once more, between a rock and a hard place, with no wiggle room. There was no leeway for escape. She couldn't fight… only consent. The usual resolve that burned in her eyes was now suppressed to a small flickering light, a ghost of what her determination usually was. She hated feeling so… helpless.

"It will be done, Your Majesty."

"I know this is hard for you, Integra. It is just that you MUST produce an heir. I fear that if this is the only way we will get you to bear a child, than so be it. You are dismissed."

Hateful woman. The queen had said her last little spiel as if she actually understood Integra. Like anyone could understand what she underwent daily, and with this on top, an added burden to her already taxed mind and emotions. There is no rest for the weary. A husband must be found. And fast.

* * *

Alucard, had finished cleaning the bathroom with a toothbrush, a task that proved long, tedious and vapid. It was a most demeaning experience for the ultimate king of the undead… to scrub the bases of toilets until all the layers of grime, scum, and whatever else lurks in a soldier's bath room, was off. At Integra's bidding, Walter had taken a particularly embarrassing photograph of him with his hand stuck in a urinal, trying to scrub out all the stains. Damn it all. When she had implied that he would pay dearly… she had obviously not been joking. 

Seras Victoria sat on the edge of her closed coffin, her head in her hands. There hadn't been much to do, as of late, and so the young Draculina found herself often sitting around lazily. Every once in a while she would spirit away to the firing range… but shooting bullets at targets grew old quickly. No freaks to annihilate no low class vampires to put into place, or nazi organizations to destroy… nothing. She found herself itching for battle. A very odd feeling, especially for her. Her nature as a vampire was beginning to encroach on her human side. Looking up, she suddenly found herself staring into a pair of large, crimson eyes.

"AIIIIE!"

She wailed loudly, jolting from her seat on the coffin. How like her master it was, to sneak up on her. Her senses, though heightened, were not honed enough for her to be able to detect his presence. He was very stealthy indeed.

A chuckle emitted from Alucard's thin lips as he leaned back on the wall, satisfied with a job well done. It was a good feeling to be able to shock someone now and again… he couldn't do it to Integra any more. When she was young, she used to jump nearly three feet into the air at his apparition, but now she was not surprised at all by any of his sneak 'attacks'. And Walter... well, they had known each other too long for him to suprise Walter. Seras was the only one left in this institution who he could really creep up on.

"You startled me, Master."

Said Seras, looking up at him though her big, glassy red eyes. She had such an innocent way about her, aside from her provocative clothes and her red eyes and pearly white fangs.

"Hence you jumping."

"I didn't jump… I… er…."

Time to change the conversation.

"… What are you doing down here, anyway?"

"I came for some advice."

If possible, Seras' eyes widened. Advice? What the hell would he want to know from her? She was at first, flabbergasted, and then a little suspicious, her eyes going from round and doe like, to a pointed squint.

"What do you need to know?"

"I want to buy someone a gift I know will be appreciated."

"Who?"

"A girl."

Said he in a very offhand manner. Seras nearly had a heart attack… and she probably would have, if her heart actually beat. A girl? Who was her master trying to impress? She eyed him carefully; trying to peek into his mind though telepathy… but he was much more experienced a nosferatu than she was. He could easily barrier himself from her trying to dip into his thoughts.

"Come on… tell me. You're a girl. What do your… kind… like this day in age?"

Alucard said, growing impatient. For a second, Seras thought he was joking, but when she stared at him for a moment longer, she realised he was dead serious.

"Well… chocolates, flowers, shoes, long walks on the beach…"

Alucard rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on. Those are all so cliché. Flowers have been given as gifts for hundreds of years. They don't mean anything. What do women really like?"

"I just told you!"

He frowned.

"She isn't that type of woman."

"Who are we talking about?"

Asked Seras in a suspicious way, hoping he would let something slip.

"Well… she's… complicated."

He said, unwilling to give away any more than that. However small and useless that piece of information may seem, Seras was no fool. It took her a moment for the thought to register, but once it did, a big, knowing smile crept over her face.

"You are getting something for Miss Integra… aren't you?"

His eyes widened slightly, but he was very good at concealing his shock. How the hell did she know? She wasn't as stupid as he had thought

"No… I…"

"Don't deny it. I see the way you look at her."

"If you breathe so much as a single implication to anyone, I swear…"

"My lips are sealed."

Her sneaky little smile remained on her face, her rosy lips curling to reveal her flashing white fangs.

"They had better be. Back to the point… help me think of something good."

"Well… how about a new desk? I heard her other one got trashed…"

"Not… er… romantic enough. Women don't want desks."

"No… they want flowers. But you are hell bent on not getting her any, so why bother coming to me for advice?"

"Shut up."

"How about a gun?"

That wasn't a bad idea. She was definitely on the right track here. But Integra had a million guns. A gun wasn't quite as personal a gift as he should like to give her anyway.

"No… not a gun. Pretty good… but not quite."

"A suit?"

"No."

"Pens? She does enough writing…"

"No."

Seras put her head back into her hands, a thoughtful look upon her face. After a long moment of silent calculating. As if a little light bulb had gone off in her head, her features suddenly illuminated with the iridescence that a good idea can bestow.

"I'VE GOT IT!"

She exclaimed, her face glowing with the thrill bestowed by the brilliance of her idea. She was a genius!

"Get her a…."

* * *

Integra got back late from her council with the Queen. That was it. No more beating around the bush. She had to get married. There was no question of it. All for the sake of this damnable organization. As if she hadn't sacrificed enough. Integra veered into her office to finish off her paperwork… only to find a large pile of miscellaneous gifts and notes on her desk. 

"Walter… what is the meaning of all this?"

She called into the hallway, thoroughly confused and miffed. Great. More work.

"A number of suitors came to call, Sir Integra, and left a bunch of presents and such. Apparently your position as parliament's most eligible bachelorette has been made known to every nobleman in England."

Walter's reply was not one she had been expecting, but when she took a more critical look at the pile, it was not only comprised of notes, but of bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolates as well.

Sitting down at her desk, she began to file through all the notes.

Most of them were pompous and self-glorifying, from men who lacked wit, but more than made up for it in how well they liked themselves. There were a number of silly little sonnets meant to be romantic, but only managed to make her a little nauseated. And then there were the chocolates and the flowers, gifts that screamed 'I am an unoriginal lout who takes no time to think of a practical present'. The pile was large, and tedious to go through, but when she had looked though every last stupid little letter that contained mushy implications or not so subtle hints at a proposition of marriage, Integra found something she had not seen before.

It was a long, slender rectangular black case, with silver buckles holding the thing shut. Curious after the slew of traditional gifts she had gotten, she opened the little silver buckles, and looked upon her new possession in a rather astonished way. It was a beautiful, long rapier in its scabbard. She picked it up, cradling it in her hands as if it were a new child as she drew the long blade from its protective case. It was gorgeous, A perfectly balanced weapon with a slender enough handle that her little woman's hand could keep a firm grip on it. Holding the long blade by the grip, she swung it around a few times, the lithe piece metal making a swishing sound as it cleaved the air.

The blade itself was immaculate… with gold filigree in the handle, cross guard, and pommel. The blade was limpid, polished, and undoubtedly sharp. Sheathing the sword to put it back in its case, she noticed something else that she had failed to see before. It was a little piece of parchment, folded neatly and laid into the inside of the case. Setting the blade down, she grabbed the paper and unfolded it. Inside was a simple note, written in a neat, practiced, hand.

'A beautiful blade for an even lovelier woman, who has a tongue just as sharp as this rapier's edge.'

A nice note, short and sweet, and anonymous. A smile crept across her lips, as she folded up the note and put it in the breast pocket of her coat. A pair of red eyes loomed ominously in the corner before disappearing.

Alucard smiled as he retreated to his chambers where he would slumber when dawn came. Integra had seemed to recieve this gift most pleasantly... Alucard had revised his opinion of his spawn Seras Victoria. A sword for his master. Sheer brilliance. Maybe Seras wasn't such a waste of un-life after all.

* * *

Done! 

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It is a bit fluffier than usual, but I figured I had included enough fights.

Cheers!

-Kimi-Taco


	6. Distraction

Hello there again! This is chapter six. Not much to say... but enjoy! It is a rather short one, but bear with me, here.

* * *

Integra sat in a stiff backed wooden chair, trying to work. Every time she looked down at her documents, her mind wandered. First it would start thinking about marriage, and then about all the gifts she had received, and then about the sword, and then to having children… her train of thought flitted to and fro like a butterfly that floats from leaf to leaf… though her thoughts were not nearly as light hearted as the air travel of a butterfly may be. 

There was too much going on, and it was bothering her to the point of distraction. It was terrible. She puffed feverishly on her cigar, trying to find comfort in the sensation of tobacco smoke in her lungs. Glancing over to the corner of her new desk, she looked at the photograph that stood there, recently framed. A chortle rumbled in her throat, soft and languid like the purr of a cat. Walter had captured a particularly good shot of Alucard scrubbing out a urinal with a toothbrush. His honor as a supreme vampire had been severely imputed there… Blast it! Her mind was wandering again. There was no chance she would get her work done at this rate.

Forfeiting all attempts to concentrate on the documents at hand, she shoved them into the drawer of her desk. She put her head into her gloved hand and rubbed her temples, as if a sudden pressure headache had overtaken her. A sigh and a puff of gray smoke left her slightly parted lips. This was all too much. She was used to a heavy burden, but this new yoke on her shoulders was not a light one.

Alucard appeared through the inky shadows that lurked in the corner of the room. Integra sat slumped at the chair at her desk, looking tired and woebegone, her shoulders heavy, and her head in her hands. She looked so small at this moment, as if for a brief while her thoughts had shrunken into themselves, making her seem almost withered, like a wilted rose.

"Master… Are you well this evening?"

It was a phrase that would have seemed particularly courteous on anyone's lips except his own. His sardonic smirk accompanied the greeting, a red flag that his remark was made in jest. Of course she wasn't alright. She looked disheveled, and a little broken. Strong , steely Integra, looking upset, even if it was mildly so. A normal person would have already snapped beneath the immense pressure she faced daily… especially though the trying years of war with Millennium. But she was beginning to bend… even steel gives way to time and pressure.

Integra, immediately aware of his presence, snapped to attention, lifting her head, and placing one hand in her lap in a poised manner, the other hand moving to her lips to remove the cigar that was clamped between them.

"Alucard… you have made yourself scarce these past few days."

It was an enigmatic sort of greeting. She could have meant any number of things, or absolutely nothing by it.

"Yet here I am."

A grin passed over his lips, a chuckle reverberating in his throat as his eyes ran over the pile of notes and flowers that were by the fireplace.

"Those are from suitors, aren't they. It's a shame they so readily wasted their time and money trying to impress you. You aren't one for gifts."

His red eyes glittered, and his smile flashed.

"I did receive one present that I don't intend to use as kindling. It's over there, resting on my armchair."

Integra cocked her head in the direction of the sword in it's case, which had taken it's residency in the armchair for now until she could get a new set of hooks fixed onto her wall on which to display it. Alucard already knew what the long, black case contained, but just to make a show of it, he walked over, and undid the buckles that held the rectangular box shut.

"A sword."

He said flatly, eyeing the present he already knew every inch of.

"You have amazing powers of observation, Alucard. I expect nothing less from a vampire of your caliber."

Her voice was sarcastic, and a little perturbed sounding, but for the most part, cold. Emotionless. She didn't feel like picking a fight with Alucard today. She just wanted to be alone to contemplate the inevitable marriage to some person.

"Do you know who gave this to you?"

Integra took a long drag on her cigar, emitting another cloud of burnt smelling air from her lungs.

"No."

"Then you will be loathe to hear that I know the person who gave this to you… and I do not intend to tell."

His voice was instilled with a gloating tone, almost as if he were a child taunting her by blowing raspberries and yelling 'Nya Na Nya na boo-boo!'.

"Oh dear me. I may as well go cry in a corner because Alucard will not reveal to me the name of my suitor. You have inflicted a deep wound on me… I may as well die."

Her voice was thoroughly sarcastic, her tone almost as sharp and prickly as her demeanor.

"You will not be so thrilled, I should think, when you find out who it is."

"It isn't Maxwell, is it?"

He grinned in a teasing way.

"No… Not that Vatican swine."

He shut the case to the sword, and when Integra offered no further verbal chase on the subject, he did not pursue the matter any longer with her.

"The Queen is forcing you to marry?"

Though he stated this last remark in the form of a question, it was not that he needed to be informed. Both He and Integra knew he was stating knowledge he had already acquired.

"They have given me a month."

Her voice grew rather grim. Grim and cold, like a January wind, and just as desolate. She turned to look at Alucard, who still lingered by the chair, his eyes darting to meet hers in that eerie unblinking gaze of his.

"What would you have me do, Alucard?"

"Why consult me on these things, Integra? As you remind me daily, I am but a servant."

Though Integra was being perfectly serious with Alucard, he hadn't given up on his wily demeanor this evening. He wasn't going to make anything easy for his master. A frown formed at the corners of Integra's mouth, her expression growing evermore displeased.

"I ask you in all earnest, Alucard. Give me the respect I disserve, and answer me properly."

"I would have you bear a child, to appease the Queen."

"And what of marriage?"

"I would not see you married. You are too wild a woman belong on the arm of any living man."

She sighed softly.

"And how would you have me do this? Bear a child out of matrimony… I have already considered being artificially inseminated, but it is a foolish option. I would not know the father of my child, and as such, I would not be assured of the character my child would possibly possess. The father would need to be of noble, untainted blood… blood that would not cower before the position that their child would have as leader of Hellsing."

"Why not have someone you know be the donor?"

He was slowly going to weave his way around, beating around the bush until he felt like revealing his motives for directing his conversation towards this subject.

"I don't know anyone who I would want to be the sire of my child. All the knights are out of the question… brainless, pigheaded parasites, the lot of them. And Walter…"

She smiled at the mention of her faithful, dutiful butler.

"…Is probably too old."

"I could do it."

She stared at him blankly, stunned he had even suggested it. Did he truly mean what had just come from his lips? Integra stared at him, her eyes widening for a moment, trying to catch the joke that lay hidden somewhere, or so she thought. His features, however, were all honesty. She laughed, not a laugh of wild, mirthful abandon, but a controlled, calculating sort of chuckle.

"You say you want me to be more serious… and then laugh at me when I actually mean what I say. Sir Integra, you make a mockery of me daily."

"You are serious then?"

The grin on her lips still lingered, lips that were curled around a cigar that was clamped between her teeth.

"Entirely. Just think of it. Our heir would be glorious. It would rule with a power unmatched by any of its predecessors… our child could take over England… nay, the earth! An heir produced by the two of us would be of the highest breeding. It would be marvelous, Integra! Marvelous!"

His red eyes gleamed, and his lips curved in a smile at his revelry, his expression alit with some mad sort of delight. Integra noted the eager flame in his eyes with peculiar interest.

"You are willing to demean yourself this much to produce a child?"

"Master, if being the one to sire your heir means I have to whack off into a cup so you can take the semen to a lab, than so be it. Besides, I would hardly call being the one chosen to carry on the Hellsing bloodline a degrading task… Scrubbing bathrooms on the other hand…"

Integra inwardly cringed at the mental image he had just instilled into her mind. But her face remained stoic. How could he even be sure that he would be able to sire a child? After all, he was dead. Integra sighed, and leaned back into her stiff chair.

"Leave me… I am tired."

Alucard smirked that insidious smirk of his without saying another word, choosing not to press the matter further. Integra stood up to leave her study and prepare herself for bed. She would need some rest.

Alucard wandered down to the shooting range, a smug little smile on his face. She hadn't said yes… but then again, she hadn't said no. And with his powers of telepathy, he had seen her mind.

She was considering his offer.

* * *

Chapter six done! 

I am sorry if characters seem OOC at points. This can be merited to nothing but my poorly developed skills at writing fan fictions. Please, I beseech all ye kind souls for forgiveness!

-Grovel Grovel Grovel-

Cheers!

- Kimi-Taco


	7. The News

Chapter seven is up! Hooray! I slacked off yesterday and didn't update... so yeah. Enjoy!

* * *

"Your Majesty… I have come to a decision." 

Integra stood before the throne of the Queen, her body held straight and stern, her frame tall and willowy like a reed, but not anywhere nearly as easily swayed. The Queen sat in a stiff backed, upholstered throne that was raised on a small platform above the hall. Despite the kindly wrinkles that had accumulated around her eyes and the corners of her lips, the presence of Her Majesty was indeed a formidable one.

"I will not be married at the end of this month."

The decision Integra had so boldly stated came almost as a shock to the Queen. She had not expected that she would so rashly throw away her position as head of Hellsing. It would be hard to find a new leader… but when push came to shove, if Integra had no intention of producing an heir, the water must fall down on her head. The queen took a deep breath.

"Then you are aware of the consequences?"

A smile lingered upon Integra's lips, and glimmered in her pale blue eyes behind her bespectacled gaze.

"I wasn't finished, your Majesty. I said I have opted out of matrimony… But I have set up arrangements to bear a child. I will be artificially inseminated, and the sire of my child is a donor of my choosing. This way, both Parliament, You, and I are appeased. A child will be produced to thus one day be my predecessor, and I will not be forced reluctantly into a hastily created relationship."

The Queen was even more taken aback by this statement than the previous. The thought was highly unorthodox… but it did sufficiently satisfy the needs of both of them. She nodded in a comprehensive manner, her lips turning downward in a slight frown of contemplation.

"And may I inquire as to the identity of the donor?"

Integra smiled, the little smirk dancing across her lips in a fey manner.

"In order to carry out your orders, Your Majesty, I have had to swear to a few promises myself. The donor did not want his name specified in court, and I am obliged to carry out his wishes. I feel in order to do what must be done, I fear you cannot know all the scruples of this occurrence. However, let me assure you that the man of my choosing will be capable of producing and excellent heir. He is of an ancient noble bloodline, one well worth carrying on. Our child will be more than competent of leading Hellsing."

The queen wasn't really quite pleased with this explanation, and would be much more comforted with Integra's choice had she known who was to be the sire. However, the bargain made was a good one, and she wasn't about to tamper with already set plans. If this was what needed to be done, than so be it.

"Is there any hint you can give me as to his lineage, Integra?"

"I am afraid not… but I feel I am at liberty to say this; My child's sire will be… to put this delicately, a rather old count."

* * *

Integra's eyes fluttered groggily open as she adjusted to the light. Her pupils contracted, and slowly her vision became sharp. Where was she? The room around her was white, and the bed beneath her, unfamiliar. 

"Sir Integra…"

A voice loomed over her.

"Sir Integra… the procedure was a success."

Suddenly, it all flooded back to her. About an hour ago, she had come to the clinic to be fertilized. She had been knocked out during the whole of the short procedure, and was just awaking now. She brought an ungloved hand to her eyes and rubbed them wearily, as the last of the anesthesia wore away.

"Excellent…"

She said in a sleepy tone, sitting up in the stiff bed, the white hospital gown she was wearing wrinkling about her form.

"If you will just come this way, you can get dressed, and then you will be able to go home."

She slung her feet around the side of the hospital bed, her bare toes making contact with the frosty feeling linoleum floor, which was polished to an absolutely spotless shine. The doctor who had been speaking to her lead her out of the room, and through another door, where all her clothes sat neatly folded on a little chair.

"Once you are done dressing, your chauffeur is in the waiting room, ready to pick you up."

Walter. Was he never late? A grin appeared on her features as she lifted her hands up to rub her eyes. As the door was shut, she peeled off the ill fitting hospital gown, and began to slip on her normal attire. Socks, pants, shirt, tie, jacket, gloves, glasses and shoes, all in that order. Adjusting her cravat in a proud, but slightly ruffled manner, she turned to walk down the hall, back to the clinic's waiting room.

As promised, Walter was there awaiting her arrival. He grinned at her in that kind, fatherly manner of his. For more than a decade now, he had been almost like a father to her.

"How did the procedure go, Integra?"

Had Alucard addressed her so informally, she would have given him a tongue lashing, Walter, on the other hand, was a different matter. With Alucard, no leeway could be given. Walter was allowed to address her as if they were old friends, which truthfully, they were.

"Well, as I am told. I am still a little tired. Let us go back to the manner… I have work to finish."

Walter's grin widened just a hair. Here, she had just undergone an hour knocked out, all for the sake of trying to get pregnant, and the first thing on her mind was 'I need to do paperwork.' It was so like Integra, it wasn't really surprising.

"Yes, ma'am"

Walking outside, the two got into the black limousine that was parked outside, Walter getting into the front seat, and driving her home in silence. There was really nothing else to be said. She had made her choice, and hopefully, in nine months, she would not be the only Hellsing in the manor.

* * *

Integra sat stooped over paperwork. Almost done… the large pile that had been accumulating for a few days was now decimated. She only had a few more documents to verify and sign. 

Alucard sloped into the room through a portal of blackness. He drifted to the front of her desk, putting his hands down on the wooden top.

Integra was, however unfazed, and kept on working noiselessly, ignoring Alucard. Sometimes, she swore, he only hung around her quarters just for the attention.

Integra's theory was partly right… sure he wanted attention… Integra's attention. Everyone was second rate to her. She radiated the sort of power that those who appreciate true beauty are drawn to, and want to revel in.

"You're back."

He said, a smirk gleaming on his lips.

"Alucard, you have excellent powers of observation. I am glad to have you as one of the Hellsing Organization."

Her voice nipped with sarcasm as she signed a document with a flourish. Tucking all her finished papers away in a desk, she fiddled around for a cigar, until she found one, and stuck it between her lips. Grabbing a lighter, she was about to light the tip aflame, before Alucard snatched the lighter from her hand, and the cigar from her lips. Her blonde eyebrows furrowed over her pale eyes, a snarl forming irritably on her lips.

"What is the meaning of this!"

"Smoking is bad for pregnant women and their unborn children."

Her mouth went slightly ajar at this, though her expression was no where near unreasonably shocked. How would he know she was actually pregnant this early in the stages? Who knew if the fertilization was actually successful? Sure, the procedure had went well… but that was no promise that a new life had actually started growing inside of her.

"How would you know?"

"I can smell it. Your hormones are already changing, don't think I cannot pick it up. I have sharper observation skills than you merit me to have."

He placed the cigar and the lighter back on the table, and Integra, in turn, stashed them away in her drawer. Realization hit her. Nine months without cigars. Had she truly given thought to it, she would have savored the very last one she had had just yesterday.

"It is also not good for women with child to be up late."

He added in an impertinent way.

"You should get to bed. You overwork yourself."

Her eyes narrowed, and his pointed teeth glittered with a ghastly grin.

"Since when have you taken such a keen interest in my habits?"

"Since you became the one who is to bear MY child. I do not want my heir to be small and sickly just because you take such poor care of yourself. Get some sleep."

She searched for a retort, but found none, her lips hanging open for an awkward moment. She was about to dismiss him, but it was too late. He had already disappeared. She sighed. He was right… she needed sleep. She hated to admit it, but every once in a while, he did say something that proved useful. He was wise in his age to say the least, he just didn't always like to act like it. He was such an enigma to her. Sometimes she wished for the power of telepathy, just so she could get in his head… into his thoughts. Maybe age had dulled his emotions, he was so good at concealing his thoughts and feelings. Integra was almost jealous of the way he could mask himself behind that incorrigably deviant smirk of his.

Alucard, having left without a fight, walked around the halls. Walter passed by, and nodded.

"Good evening, Alucard."

"Likewise to you, Angel of Death."

Alucard was the only one who addressed him by his christened title. Angel of Death. He hardly seemd so now, but the echoes of his past glimmered in his dark eyes. He was still a servant of Hellsing, but in a more passive way as of late..

"Where are you coming from?"

"I just visited Master Integra… she is pregnant. I can smell it."

A smile appeared on Walter's aged face, lines at the corners of his mouth deepening with the motion.

"Integra has changed so much from her childhood. Now she is going to have her own child. I should have liked to have seen her married…"

Walter chuckled, his monocle glittering.

"…But she is too good for it."

He finished with a smirk.

"Yes. She has grown very much. From a mere child, to a formidable leader. Miss Hellsing has only become more excellent with age."

Alucard concurred, a strange expression stirring in his eyes. They seemed softer, pleasanter… more human. What emotion filled them so for a moment, Walter could not get his finger on, but it was deep to be sure. The expression was only ephemeral, however. Alucard's eyes immediately shifted back to their cold, bloody red gaze.

"Have a good evening, Walter."

"You as well, Alucard."

The two parted in silence, going their separate ways to enjoy the night with their different practices.

* * *

Finished! 

I hope this installment wasn't too bad.

Not much to say here.

Cheers-

-Kimi-Taco


	8. The room

Hi everyone. This is a short chapter that was created as a result of coffee and a lack of sleep. A bit fluffy, but I hope not too much. I promise the next chapter will be a long one, and much more eventful than this one was. Enjoy!

* * *

"It's all so…." 

This was one of the few moments that Integra Hellsing was at a loss for words at what now stood before her.

"…Pink."

She finished the sentence in a rather disgruntled way. Integra looked about the small, London boutique with a disdainful eye. She didn't see why she had to pick out baubles and gadgets for her child so early… It had only been a week since she had officially found out the news. Two days after her fist visit to the clinic, she had gone back to run some tests, and they confirmed what Alucard had already informed her of. She was, indeed, with child. And now she had to suffer for it. Time to outfit the nursery.

The shop she was currently mulling though was an upper end, expensive sort of place that specialized in stupid and frivolous things for babies. Integra was almost appalled at the lack of taste… little booties with bear ears on them, onesies with rubber ducky floral print… honestly! Didn't they have anything plain? She turned to Walter, her eyes almost pleading for help. Integra was made to ruthlessly run a powerful organization… not pick out baby clothes.

"Walter… Can't you do this? I don't think picking out clothes for a baby that hasn't even arrived is a very reasonable way to ration my time. I mean, I should be at the manor, doing…"

There really wasn't much to be done at the Hellsing manor. Paper piles grew ever thinner; dwindling down as the commotion caused by Millennium came to a slow, but steady halt. There hadn't been much to do, really. Just a few incidents with low class vampires going on pointless killing sprees… nothing that couldn't single handedly be controlled by Alucard… or even Seras for that matter. So there really wasn't much to do… but Integra figured that there had to be more practical ways to spend her time than buying silly looking outfits. Her sentence still hung in the air.

"Sir Integra… it will have to be done sooner or later. Better do it now while you still have time. A lot of gossip will spread about you in the next few months, and undoubtedly all the propaganda you will be the subject of will somehow find a way to interfere with your life." Walter smiled in a gentle, coaxing way.

"Be a big girl, Integra, and just get it over with."

Integra sighed, and pursed her lips, starting to sift through the tiny articles of clothing once more. She guessed he was right… if she did it now, she wouldn't have to suffer any more later. But why did everything have to be so muted in color? Everything in the shop was pale pink, pale blue or pale purple. The light colors, though soothing had absolutely no charms for her. She scowled.

"Why does everything have to be so…" Integra held up a little nightie, the tiny outfit pink and embroidered with the images of little puppies and kitties on it, holding it at arm's length as if the thing were contaminated.

"…gaudy?"

Walter pretended to be inspecting a crib, not feeling the need to justify her with an answer. Complain as she might, she would have to face the fact sooner or later. Her child would have to wear cute things… at least for the first few years of its life.

Integra and Walter stood in the doorway of a spacey chamber, inspecting the fruits of their labor. Integra's old nursery had been given a complete makeover. The room had been in shambles for quite a long time, but everything had been taken out, painted over and replaced. It was positively a new room. The walls were painted a nice color… a soft, muted sort of green. The color appeased both Integra and Walter, because it was a practical sort of hue, but gentle enough to make a nice nursery. Curtains were draped in a soft brocade fabric of a darker green, and the carpet, soft and bumpy beneath the feet was a shade to match the curtains. A crib, changing table, and chest of drawers, all matching, were situated in various places about the room. Toys had been put on newly applied shelves, and soft blankets lined the crib. It was a good room to be sure, emanating comfort and peace. So few rooms in the house were this cozy.

"You did well, Sir Integra."

"Yes… I believe I did." She congratulated herself in a mild way on her good taste in interior design, her choices having been influenced only slightly by Walter's expertise in such matters.

Walter sloped away from the room silently, stalking off to wash linens or re organize the armory… whichever task was in more dire need of being done. Integra still stood there, slouching over so that her slight body rested against the doorframe. She was almost beginning to come to terms with the idea… Nine months until she would actually have someone to occupy this room. It was almost jarring, but at the same time, a wave of excitement lurched within her. She didn't know what provoked such enthusiasm. She shrugged it off. Maternal instinct. As much as she would like to deny it, she was in fact, a woman, and was not a total anomaly as one of the fairer sex. Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach, before she recoiled it, almost in self-disgust. No… this was stupid! There wasn't even any lump around her middle as proof of a child. Why was she so quick to accept this?

Alucard had now taken Walter's place at her side, scrutinizing the new chamber of the household. But his eyes quickly averted from the room, to Integra. Her head was tilted to the side, her silky hair falling gently about her shoulders and neck as she leaned so placidly against the door frame. Her eyes stared so blankly ahead, it was almost hypnotizing to see her this deep in thought. She was a naturally pensive woman, but she was most certainly contemplating something very grave at the moment.

Her ice blue eyes flickered as she returned to the world out of her little cocoon of thought. The red of a familiar jacket caught her eye, and she propped herself straight, turning slightly to face Alucard, who dipped his head in a slight bow.

"Have the incidents in Kent been taken care of?"

"Yes, Master. The creatures there were weak… you should have seen how they squirmed as I drove my hand through their chests."

Integra turned her head away for a moment, slightly annoyed. Here, she had just been musing over pleasant, but delicate issues, and now she had the mental image of vampires writhing as Alucard's arm impaled them like a skewer. Such was life at the Hellsing manor. As if sensing the displeasure she drew from the sudden jump of thought, Alucard grinned deviantly, and Integra searched to change the subject.

"What do you think of the room, Alucard?"

"It will serve its purpose well. What do you think of it?"

"It's… special."

She looked at the room again. The room itself wasn't particularly magnificent. It was nice, but not extraordinary. What made the place special was what she knew was going to occupy it, given due course for gestation.

Alucard nodded knowingly satisfied with her answer. Despite the lack of detail she gave her few words spoke volumes. He couldn't quite put his finger on why this occurrence brought such sentimentality out of the cold, seemingly unfeeling Integra, but it wasn't an unwelcome change in her. She was still the same woman he had seen grow from child to adult, the same iron maiden, the same Integra.

"Goodbye, Master." He said simply, continuing his along his way down the hall.

Integra stood there for a while longer, before turning off the light and shutting the door. It was time to leave the small, but magical sanctuary, and get back to the real world. A world where she was sure that there was work that needed to be done in.

* * *

Yep That's all, folks.

I still don't own Hellsing... yadda yadda yadda...

Happy Campin', kids!

Rewiew please! I find them terribly helpful, so please keep 'em comin'.

Kimi-Taco


	9. The difference between Love and Lust

Chapter nine is up! Hooray! I have taken into account all the suggestions I have been given, and I have tried hard to better my writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Next chapter will be very important, so it may take me a while to formulate/write it. Enjoy!

* * *

The soft evening light streamed through the window, the pale illumination caused by the moon casting a gentle shine on the inside of the room, on Integra who was smoking a cigar in secret. It had only been a week… one week. One little cigar couldn't hurt. As she took deep drags from the expensive cancer stick, she promised herself that this would be her last… at least for the nine months she needed to stop smoking. Ah… the feeling was wonderful, the tang of the tobacco on her lips, the taste of smoke in her mouth, the soothing affect it had on her nerves. 

She smoked in silence for a while, though sorely sorry when the last of the cigar was burnt to the quick, and she had to snuff the butt out in her ashtray, greatly resisting the urge to light another cigar from the embers of the finished one. Farewell, cigars. The wind hummed outside like a requiem mass.

Crossing the room, she eyed the sword that had been gifted to her, which had since been mounted on the wall, along with a few other of her decorative weapons. The blade gleamed bright and cold in the moonlight. Integra lifted the instrument from the hooks, cradling it in her hands. It was beautiful.

While caressing the sharpened end of the rapier, Integra's hand accidentally slipped, and the razor edge slit the tip of her finger. Red blood seeped through her glove, and cursing, she removed the stained article of clothing.

"Let me clean that up, Master."

Alucard loomed in front of her, a hungry gleam in his eyes, and an expectant grin on his lips. Integra said nothing, merely holding out her hand, her finger glistening with red liquid. A second was not wasted once she had given him her silent consent. Taking her bare, bloodied hand in his larger gloved one, he brought her finger to his lips, lapping up the blood in a desperate sort of way.

Nothing else compared to Integra's blood. When he had first tasted it in the dungeon, when he first had been awakened by it, Alucard had hungered for nothing else. It was wonderfully rare. Blood so thick and rich as hers was not commonplace. It was bitter, and yet sweet at the same time, with a wonderful, smooth texture on the tongue. He savored every last bit, and when the wound yielded no more, he ached for another taste.

Integra smiled in a knowing sort of way.

"You have a knack for appearing whenever blood is spilt."

"I know when you bleed. I hear it, I smell it, I taste it on the air. Please, master… give me more…"

He circled behind her, creating a close proximity between the two of them. With his hand, he brushed her silvery blonde locks to one side of her shoulder, exposing the soft, unmarred skin of her neck. Leaning foreward slightly, he nuzzled her behind her ear, behind her jaw, at the base of her neck…

"So close… All I would need to do is give you a little nip… but you are protected by the seals set in place by your ancestors…pity."

His mouth watered as he ran his teeth gently over her skin, so desperately craving what he knew he could not have. He could hear the blood singing through her veins, the melodious rhythemic sound like a symphony in his ears, driving him wild with desire. He nudged her neck gently.

Was she hearing things, or had he just whimpered just a little? Integra stood strong, still holding the sword at her side. He always got like this when she fed him her blood, becoming lusty and forgetting the boundaries between the two. Personal space was usually kept, but not when there was blood in the air. His nose and lips were cold against her neck, making her skin sting like it was being touched by ice.

"Integra… Let me drink from you. Think of it! You would be a glorious draculina, a lovely no life queen, my beautiful countess… You would enjoy the immortality… the power… I know you would." He hissed gently in her ear, desire dripping from his lips as the sentence rolled off his tongue.

Integra clenched her fist around the sword's handle, her fingernails digging into the leather grip.

"I should run you through for touching me, slave, let alone for all the implications you have uttered with your heathen tongue. Remove yourself at once."

However, Alucard did not. Instead he nibbled her ear in an artful way, his tongue parting his lips and rolling onto her skin. Integra sneered in a disgusted way.

"I still will not tell you who gave you that sword, Integra."

"Because you did."

Alucard chuckled.

"I knew you would have figured it out sooner or later. I know you are no simpleton. No one knows you so well as I. It is fitting I should be the one to father our child."

She turned, breaking herself away from him.

"Excuse me? This is not _our_ child, and you shall not be _fathering_ it. This is **my** heir. Nothing will change between the two of us. I will give birth, and you will carry on as you have always done. You are nothing more than a servant. Like a stud horse you have been used merely for the sake of carrying on my line. You will have no part in my child's life. What manner of father would you make anyway, you worthless fiend? Would you truly love my child, or would you only see it as a way to gain power, to control Hellsing vicariously through your offspring? Would you hug my child, read it stories and tuck it in at night before it went to sleep? You are a monster. You cannot raise a child. Your purpose in the life of this child is finished. Absolutely nothing is going to change."

Her voice was strong and stern, carrying an air of absolute, implacable authority, her bespectacled eyes glinting like spearheads. The fire in Alucard diminished with her words. His face grew cold and solemn. Something in her words had almost stung. Alucard was not one to be intimidated by verbal abuse, but something about her manner had dissarmed him. Worthless? Incapable of love? Is that what she thought of him?

"I have a right to love whomever I choose, Integra."

"You could not love a child, Alucard."

"That is not who I mean."

Integra scowled, bearing her fangless teeth at him. Pitiful human teeth as they were, the look of utter disdain on her face could not have been mistaken.

"You mistake lust for love, Alucard. If I died would you mourn me? Would you cry over my grave and wail and sob and feel like the depths of your soul had been ripped out? Or would you only pity the waste of power? Would you truly care? Would you? No… your unlife would just go on… meaningless, servile and cold. You may have ultimate power, but you have paid for it dearly with your soul. A person is nothing without their humanity. You do not feel the way we do, Alucard. You do not feel joy and hope and pain and loss the way we do. You cannot love me."

"You forget I was once like you. I still carry the mark of humanity with me, like a scar that will not ever truly dissappear. You do not know how I feel, Integra. What I feel. You deny me all I want. How can you think it does not affect me?"

Integra's eyes narrowed, staring at him straight in the face. Their gazes matched one another's, eyes locked for a moment in a silent battle.

"And what do you want, Alucard?"

Sarcasm dripped from her voice, Her words resounding solemn and grave in the moonlit room. Alucard's eyes sparkled, and he drew a step closer, neither of them touching, but their bodies so close. He could feel her radiate such emotional coldness , and for a moment, he silently basked in the authority eminated by her. There was no one else quite like her. He reached out, with a white gloved hand, and cupped her cheek in it. It was strange how human the motion felt to Integra, the way his thin fingers caressed her skin made it almost seem… like he was alive. He stared at her, drowning in her powerful presence. His red eyes flickered with the echoes of some unannounced emotion… was it sadness?

"I thought you would know."

Integra's brows furrowed over her pale eyes, as she slapped his hand away from her face, and brought the sword up to his chest, the point of it touching the fabric on his bright red coat.

"Leave me."

Her simple command said a thousand things. Her tone was paved on anger, despite the placid and level pitch she had used. She did not need to raise her voice, to yell or scream to get her fury across. The dangerous expression of her eyes, the thin, straight line made by her lips… the message was all to clear. Alucard turned without any fight, to stride in an almost dejected manner from the room.

Once out of one another's presence, Integra wilted onto the sofa that sat near the wall. Why? The simple phrase was all that ran through her head as she asked herself that one word question that she couldn't possibly answer.

Alucard had since retreated to his room, sitting on the edge of his shut coffin. Integra… she was a blessing and a curse. He could not have the one thing he desired above all else. She would die before she submitted to him, before she agreed to be his countess. What she had said to him… the unfair judgements she had passed… he couldn't help but feel they were, in some way true. Was she only attractive because of her power over him? Did he only want her, because he knew she was the one person he could not have? Could he really love her… or a child, for that matter? Was there any humanity left within him? A feeling of inadequacy consumed him. She was right. He was, after all, just a monster.

* * *

Okay! There you have it. 

I dunno exactally where this chapter came from... I just started writing and couldn't stop, and I feel like it came out allright. It could be better, however.

Yeah. I still don't own Hellsing. Just so you guys know. And I apologise to Kohta Hirano for the royal debauchery of his characters.

Cheers,

Kimi-Taco


	10. Broken

Woohoo! The tenth chapter is up! Things really turn upside down in this chapter... so yeah. Rate, Review, and enjoy!

* * *

"Integra… I'm afraid there's some bad news." 

The doctor's voice was calm but solemn as he spoke. His tone was almost unnerving. Integra gave him a calculating stare, which his gaze avoided, in almost a guilty manner.

"Tell me." She said simply. Her cold eyes bore no emotion as she looked straight at the doctor with that piercing stare of hers.

"I'm afraid there have been some complications with your pregnancy…"

The doctor stumbled over his words, stammering as if he were afraid of her retribution on the matter, as if she would shoot the messenger. Integra pursed her lips in an irritated, anxious manner.

"Out with it, man." She spat, becoming irrate at his lack of answer.

"I'm sorry, Integra. Somehow, your pregnancy has self-terminated. Since you were only two weeks into your first trimester, and the embryo had barely begun to develop, your body will dispose of it when you get your period, which should be in a week or so. Again, I'm terribly sorry."

* * *

That had been a month ago. One month that had felt like it had gone by at an excruciatingly slow pace. It had all happened as the doctor had said. When she began to menstruate again, any small hope that Integra had that the doctor may have given a faulty prognosis was decimated. And somehow, it felt like a small part of her had been shattered. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, a part of her had been looking foreword to motherhood. It was the part of her that took pride in the interior decorating of her prospective child's room, the part of her that mused over names and whether or not her baby would be a boy or a girl. The sudden removal of that hope had left her crushed. Weak. 

Integra had stowed herself away in her room, locking herself into a chasm of gloom. One month. The sun was setting behind the horizon, and Integra found herself standing at the window in her bedchamber, tears rolling down her face, hot, wet and burning. Life wasn't fair… but since when had she expected it to be?

"Master…"

Alucard. His voice was languid and much more forgiving than it usually was. Integra had kept her door locked, but no such trivial thing would stop him. He had left her alone since their last conversation, Integra having conveyed all her orders to him through Walter. But these past weeks, he had been leaving her alone for a different reason. For the same reason she was standing at the windowsill, crying.

"Alucard… I... I was…" She stammered as she whipped around her nightgown swirling about her knees. Her face was red and blotchy from crying, and she wiped her puffy eyes with the back of her hand.

"…Crying?" He finished her sentence. A heavy, thick pause ensued, either party reluctant to finish what was said. How could one finish such a statement? Integra Hellsing was crying. She had given way, let some emotion seep through her seemingly impenetrable shell, a cocoon she had surrounded herself in her whole life. The emotional barrier had been broken through, and this was what was left... this shadow of Integra's former glorious strength.

"I'm being silly." She mumbled softly, sniffling as she tried to hold back her tears, feeling more ready to breach the barrier of her eyes, eyes which stared down at her feet, rather than at her looming servant. She could feel his stare, cold and grave upon her, and felt stupid and exposed beneath it. "I was only two weeks pregnant… why should I be so upset? I have absolutely no reason… I didn't even want to have a child in the first place, and now I'm crying over something so… so…" She wiped her eyes again, fighting hard against the tears.

"Integra, it isn't just this. What happened, it was the straw that broke the longsuffering camel's back. You are under so much pressure, and deal with so much pain. More than anyone should. You never let anyone in, because you think you can handle it all. I haven't seen you shed a tear for your father since the day we met, you bear the weight of the organization, you watch your men suffer and die, you sacrifice so much every day. Let me help you."

"NO!" She wailed, her voice becoming stringy and desperate. "I don't need any help. I don't need your help. I am perfectly under control. I am Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, and I am perfectly in control of myself!"

Her eyes turned their cold and steely gaze towards him, tears still flowing free, wetting the rims of her glasses. A sigh escaped Alucard's lips. Not a chuckle or a sardonic laugh… just a sigh. A sound foreign and strange for him. Integra… she was so proud. So stubborn. Despite her powerful beauty, she was not a creature without fault.

"You are only human."

Integra couldn't even articulate or rationalize her thoughts. Her mind and her heart were full; bursting at the seams with emotion that spilled over in the form of tears.

"I… I…" She didn't know what to say. In a fit of frustration, she flung herself at him, the passionate throes of anger overtaking her as she pounded his chest with her little, balled fists. She hit him with all her might, her fists making loud hammering noises against his broad trunk. Her wild hair clung to her wet face as she thumped at Alucard, but he stood his ground, graciously taking her blows. She hit him again and again until she panted with fatigue, her frame collapsing into his.

"I hate you… I hate you…" She mumbled into his chest, her body heaving for breath, and her shoulders shaking as she began to sob.

Alucard tentatively put his arms around Integra's frame. She felt so small against him, her body trembling like a little bird. He didn't know how to comfort her… how do you react when a woman who is usually so in control reaches her breaking point? Even as a young child, she had never been this needy, this upset. She had held these tears back for a long time. His black waistcoat began to get soaked with Integra's tears. He cradled her little form against his, his hands gently stroking her silvery, askew hair in a comforting way. His minstrations were mildy soothing, but the anger and sorrow were not so easily wiped away.

"…I hate you…"

"Integra, I love you."

"You can't… you just can't… I know you can't…" She shook her head, unable even to try to reason with him over this issue. Her thoughts were a wild amalgamation of each other, swirling in the turmoil of her mind.

"You just won't let me."

"You're a killer, a demon, a monster… you can't love me… you just can't…"

With his thumb, he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, his glove becoming wet as he did so. He lifted her chin, looking her straight in the face. She tried to pull her head away, but his grip was firm. She averted her eyes, refusing to look him dead in the face.

"Integra… look at me." He growled at her, his tone firm but at the same time, gentle.

She squirmed against him, but finally submitted when he would not yield. Looking up at his face, she was surprised by what she found there. His features were not contorted into his usual wily grin, and his tinted glasses did not mask his eyes. His hair was tousled, his lips set in a frown, and his red eyes, still dark and menacing, were invaded by emotion.

"It pains me to see you this way." He whispered.

Still against him, she could smell the metallic twinge of stale blood on his breath. Her tears had stopped, but the chasm within her had not been pervaded. She felt so empty, and yet at the same time, so full.

"It's not fair…" She whispered back, resting her head at the base of is neck. Alucard could feel her heart beating in her chest, her blood coursing though her veins, though the entirity of her body. He wanted to taste her so badly... to feel her sweet, noble blood on his lips. She was right... it wasn't fair.

"I know."

They stood in silence for a while, some silent understanding having been formed. It was brittle, gossamer and ephemeral, but it was there. For a moment, they both comprehended each other.

She rubbed her face again, as if for good dismissing any tears that possibly lingered.

"What shall I tell Parliament? They have to know sooner or later that the pregnancy failed."

"I still want to be the father of your child, Integra."

His hands slowly crept to the small of her back, one resting against her hip, the other reaching lower to caress her thigh. She smelled sweet… he could feel the blood pulsing through her. He could not have her blood… but he would take her body as a consolation prize. Her guard was down. She would not refuse him.

"But…" She said in a weak protest. But she was too broken to argue, too mentally and physically exhausted. Alucard made a shh-ing noise before his lips moved to her ear, gently nibbling on her flesh. His hands moved from her hips to her back, where her nightgown was buttoned. His mouth roving about the flesh near her jaw and neck, he undid each button at an excruciatingly slow pace.

Integra's mind was a blur, too upset for any of this to really register. She felt him there… she knew of his implications, of his intentions, but did nothing. She stayed in Alucard's grasp, and did not fight. It was all like a dream, unfolding in her fuzzy, tired mind. Her gaze went blank.

Alucard unfastened the last little button, letting the garment fall about her ankles. Her body was exposed, soft and unblemished, and he ran his hands along her frame, excitement and lust coursing through him. The seals protected her from him drinking from her… but anything else was up for the taking. He scooped her thin, bare frame up in his arms, and led her over to the bed, laying her down. She looked up at him with her big, pale eyes that were still slightly reddened from the tears. She was so… innocent. Her world had just been turned upside down, and she was caught up in all of this as she tried to get back on her feet. He would almost regret taking advantage of her in this way. Almost.

"You're beautiful, My dear." He husked lustily in her ear as he crouched over her, ready to take first claim to her virginity. His grin returned, feral and provocative. She was all his for the taking.

* * *

Defiled.

I have forfeited myself

Bodies twist and writhe in the night

Screams of pain, pleasure, ecstasy, fill the air

She whom I desire

He, whom I loathe

Entwined in a dance as old as time

A steady rhythm pulses

I cry out for you

I crave your touch

I want your lips against mine

Your hips against mine

How much is there

that needs to be forgotten

And remembered

It will all be okay

It will all end

As much as you are mine

I am yours

* * *

Finished. Wow. Not much to say after that. 

Don't own Hellsing? Join the club, mate!

-is pelted with tomatoes-

God, I hope that chapter wasnt TOO bad... -braces herself for a multitude of flames-

Please review! I love feed back!

Cheers, Kimi-Taco


	11. Retribution

Yay. Chappie eleven is up. -Waves banner-

Don't kill me if it is terrible. It was 1:00 am when I wrote this, so I will probably need to re-read it and fix any mistakes or stupid things later. So yeah. Rate and Enjoy.

* * *

Time. It is said that this natural commodity can heal all wounds… and though much had passed, nearly two months, some emotional cuts were still as raw and fresh as they had been when first inflicted. Time proved not to be as nearly an affective doctor as it is acclaimed to be. Integra doubted whether or not she would ever truly get over what had happened… though it was all a blur in her memories, she knew exactly the irreversible damage that had been done. She had already given her whole life to this organization… and the only thing that was truly hers, the one thing she had left… that was taken away from her too. She had been abominably used, and none the less, by her servant. Needless to say, the two had not butted heads since that fateful night. On Integra's part, it offered relief, and at the same time, uneasiness. Relief that she didn't have to deal with him, to be in his odious, fornicating presence, but even so, dread festered within her. Dread for when she would need to finally face him. 

However, dread was not the only thing that had been swelling inside Integra since she and Alucard had last met. She had tried to ignore all the warning signs; The random bouts of lightheaded-ness that she blamed on too many cigars, the swelling of her abdomen, which she attributed to too much food, and the queasiness she now experienced in the early morning was a crime committed by something foul she may have consumed the night before. Despite all her excuses, she was fooling no one, not even herself. She was pregnant. Again. This time around, however, the growth of the new child inside of her did not incite feelings of hope and nostalgia. Only anger. She was bitter with fury and shame. The secret was obviously going to be kept by those close to her… Walter was the only one besides her and Alucard who knew the full extent of the situation. Suspicion was beginning to arise among the troups, however about how her pregnancy had been terminated and then suddenly, 'out of the blue', she became bloated and cranky and missed her period twice in a row. Parliament had not been notified about the first failed try at pregnancy, so she didn't need to inform them that the child she carried within her now was a different one than the first. The less the queen knew the better.

And Alucard? What of him? Alucard.The name was one she loathed to have cross her mind. Integra couldn't even think of him without feeling heavy waves of loathing sweep over her, her teeth unconsciously gritting, and her eyes narrowing at the mere speculation of him and how thoroughly he had abused her. Was he proud to have nailed the Hellsing director like a board to the wall?

Integra yawned, swinging her bare feet over the side of the bed, having awoken to the sound of her stomach growling in complaint. She put a hand to her bloating tummy. She had been so hungry as of late... hungry all the time. She needed a snack... something to keep that infernal stomach of hers from grumbling at her all night long. With a sigh, she stood up and wrapped a robe about her body, the article having been hanging from a hook on her bedside. Lighting a little candle with a lighter that was conveniently located on her bedside table, she began her trek down to the kitchen. She shuffled down the stairs and into the pantry, opening cabinets and looking through shelves as she tried to find something sufficient to munch on. Finding a box of raspberry tarts, she opened it, quite pleased with her discovery. No sooner than she had opened the sealed box and stuffed a cookie in her mouth, a voice emerged from the darkness behind her.

"My my my… you look bigger since I last saw you."

Integra whipped around, at the recognition of that voice immediately abandoning her cookies. Her eyes burned with their bright blue fury. If looks could kill, Alucard would be dead a thousand times over, provided he wasn't a nosferatu. A sneer appeared on Integra's lips as she bared her pearly white teeth at him in utter loathing and disgust.

"You…" She hissed though clenched teeth.

"…Me? What of it?" Alucard smirked that lecherous smirk of his, his lips splitting into an inhumanly wide grin. Boldly he took a few steps foreword, drawing close to Integra, despite her obvious fury.

"How about a kiss, Integra? It wouldn't be nearly as much as you gave me last time we met, but it will suffice..."

Integra stepped back, her hands balling into fists as she glowered at him in a most vicious way.

"You took advantage of me, you disgusting, miserable low life creature. You hypocrite, you who swore that you loved me, and then two seconds later ripped my nightgown off. You knew... you knew how weak I was in that moment, how I wouldn't fight back! How I was too incapacitated to fully comprehend what you were doing to me! You couldn't possibly do anything else to me that could insult me at a higher degree than you already have. And I'm fat and pregnant with your bastard child now, none the less. If you weren't dead already, I would certainly have had you killed by now."

She did not need to raise her voice to get the sheer volume of her fury across. It could be read as loud and clear as a gigantic highway billboard. Alucard totally ignored her warning signs, still flashing that malevolent grin of his.

"You forget a rather large scruple in the story. You have left out the part about how you liked it."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Ohohoho… So she doesn't remember? She doesn't remember how she moaned and wailed like a whore when I took her…how she rode me like a horse… how she screamed my name and begged me for more…"

"Stop it."

"… How she…"

"YOU GO TOO FAR, YOU BASTARD COUNT!"

There was a long, silent pause between the two as they stared each other down, as if they were sizing each other the way a fighter would their opponent. He was only here to rub it in… to rub it in Integra's face that he had conquered her. He was still bound to her through the dark magic bonds set down by her forefathers, but Alucard was triumphant in seeing Integra crack. He had found her weak spot, and he was going to gloat. She had called him a senseless, emotionless, unfeeling dead piece of shit… and he remembered how that remark had stung. But now he could hurt her back… make her feel the mental slap he had received first from her. He grinned insidiously. Integra merely stared, her gaze narrow and angry.

"Why did you do it, anyway? Now I cannot become a no life queen. You have tried to coax me into a vampiric un-life since the day we met… and you gave up on me so soon? I am surprised, for one as persistent and unreasonably evil as yourself that you did not continue in your attempts."

She was right. Only when she had been a virgin could she have been transformed. Now there was no hope left. Alucard knew full well this when he had taken her . His gaze fell as she discovered a slipknot in the noose he had been tightening around her neck. His expression changed to one of severe gravity.

"I did it because… I know. I know you would have never given up your humanity. I know you would die before becoming like me. It is your pride as the leader of Hellsing, and your honor as a servant of your God. You would not follow me into the unlife. You will die, Sir Integra, without fear, and without regret. We both know that is your fate. And I, as a vampire, as a creature prone to the pitfall of self satisfaction wanted you… wanted to take you, before your died. I cannot explain why. But it was more than ephemeral lust that drove me to the conclusion to steal your virginity. I will not say I care for you, because I know you will dismiss the notion."

Integra seemed unfazed by any sentimentality his speech had within it. Her gaze was hard as granite and cold as a winter's first fallen snow.

"And you do well not to imply you have any feelings towards me. I began to have my doubts bout how unfeeling you are when you held me in your arms and comforted me than night, but any shadow of a thought had been shattered when you defiled me. If you truly cared, you would not have disgraced me in so violent and wanton a manner. You are a disgusting, loathsome, foul, obscene abominable freak of nature. I have more than half a mind and all the power to put you back in the dungeon in whence you were found by me. I have no need of you, creature. I will bear a child, and Seras will take your place as head hit man of Hellsing. You disserve no part in my life from this point onward. Do not speak to me again. If you need to convey a message to me, it will be sent through Miss Victoria or Walter. You will not disgust me with your abhorrent presence. You are in no way freed, but you may as well sit and rot in that dungeon of yours, because I have no want of you."

A muscle near the corner of his mouth twitched. Integra couldn't tell whether it was an automatic reflex, the tautening of his lips to form a frown, or possibly the random facial spasms one makes when on the verge of tears. No... He couldn't be crying. She couldn't see behind his orange tinted glasses, but surely the man who three seconds ago had been taunting her with the name of whore would not be shedding tears. Surely the great vampire Alucard would not begin to weep over his master's retribution.

"I see. I will leave you then… My lady."

He nodded his head curtly, his black hair bobbing about his face, before he walked through the kitchen wall, his posture held tall and lordly, the way he walked suggesting he felt much more proud than he truly felt at the moment. Integra sighed deeply and rubbed her temples as if a pounding headache had suddenly pierced her skull. Her life was in a steady downward spiral. All these conflicts that had been occouring... never had she felt under more pressure. She would gladly take on an army of undead nazis rather than all the turmoil that had uninvited, invaded her life. Nothing would ever be the same.

Alucard sat atop his coffin, rubbing away big red droplets from his eyes. It was his turn to break, to abandon the normal attitude of self-content and let the woes pour out. Though in his sorrow, he was sure he would not be exploited as Integra had been, he still felt very ill-used. His gloves began to grow red at the fingertips as he kept wiping away the blood that streaked down from his bright red eyes. Vampire tears were a hard thing to mask. It was all so incongruous… he shouldn't be crying. What ultimately powerful vampire cries? The tears mostly came from frustration… frustration mostly with himself. He loved Integra. He just couldn't show it. Like a little boy who pulls the hair of the girl he secretly admired, thus was how his discourse was with Integra. He poked and prodded her till she finally broke, and then when he should have consoled her, her used her in an irreversible way. And then crowed over his victory to boot! It was a wonder that he had been shocked when Integra declared she would see him no more. He had disserved every bit of it. He needed to find a way to win her back. To earn once more whatever small affection she may have ever had for him. The short bout of tears stopped, but he still sat hunched over on his coffin, his shoulders heavy, and his un-beating heart full.

"Master…"

A happy voice came with the police girl as she fazed through the wall.

"Master, I polished your Jacka…"

Seras stopped dead in her tracks. Alucard… he was… just sitting there. It was a sorry sight. He looked somehow very small, and withered and beaten, almost like some feral creature that had been whipped into miserable submission. Seras was more than a little shocked at seeing her great and invincible sire this way.

"Master… what's wrong?"

Her young voice was gentle and soothing. Alucard didn't even look up at his fledgling, his eyes staring straight down at the cold stone floor.

"For my sins I must bear the weight of retribution. I've done something terrible, Seras… I'm a monster."

* * *

Done. 

I don't own Hellsing.

I apologise to Kohta Hirano for butchering his characters. -hangs head in shame-

It's late, I'm tired, I'm going to bed. So sue me.

-Kimi-Taco


	12. Joyeux Noelle

Chappie 12 is up! Hooray! Alucard has made himself scarce here... don't kill me for not letting him have a full appearance. Read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Christmas had crept up on the Hellsing manor much in the way a cat creeps up upon it's prey. You aren't aware of it until… WHAM! It was right on top of you. Maybe it was Seras humming carols in the hallways, or Walter trimming the troop's quarters with glittery tinsel and festive lights that gave it away… but in any case, Integra was not glad of the season. There were too many memories connoted with it… some good, but mostly painful. After the death of her father, Christmas hadn't been the same. Since Arthur's passing, Walter had done his best to try to make Integra happy, but no butler, no matter how doting or paternal they may be, could replace a father. 

Integra sighed. Holiday cheer was in short supply here. Sure, the soldiers were rowdy enough, with their spiked eggnog and wild parties that they had as the days were counted down to Christmas eve, but there was no joy to be had in these immature little bashes, at least not for Integra. She sat, slumped in an overstuffed lavish armchair, nibbling at warm sugar cookies that sat on a tray, placed by a table beside her.

One good thing that could be said about Christmas… Walter always kept cookies in the oven. And at the beginning of her second trimester, it was becoming obvious that she was with child. Her suits, usually overlarge on her twiggy frame were growing ever tighter… so much so that she had abandoned wearing them, unaccustomed to their clinging fit. Instead, she opted to hang around the house in a loose white button down shirt and a pair of slacks that still fit her… it wouldn't be too long before she would need to buy clothes that actually fit… maternity clothes. Integra shuddered at the thought. Integra didn't think they carried suits and slacks in sizes to fit her growing belly. She hated the prospect of wearing flowery printed dresses. Repulsive.

Integra reached for more cookies as she sat in front of the fire, warming herself and her unborn child. Absently, she stroked her stomach. What would the baby look like? Was it a boy or a girl? What would she name it? A name. That was the big, imposing question. She had more time these days to think of such things, now that her mind was less occupied by the symptoms that came with early pregnancy. The morning sickness had subsided along with the huge bouts of fatigue, but her hunger was ever present. Food. Was that all pregnant women thought about? She shoved another cookie in her mouth.

Seras walked into the room, her uniform flecked with bits of blood. She had just been out doing some extermination… nothing major. She had just needed to take care of some punk vampire that had gone on a killing spree. Stepping in front of Integra, the light in the room changed as Sera's curvy form blocked the fire.

"I've exterminated the vampire as you have said, Sir Integra."

Integra nodded, pushing her round glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Good work, Miss Victoria. Do please sit down. I would like some company for a short while."

Seras was rather surprised at the invitation. Usually Integra didn't want to be bothered with her, and now she was openly requesting she stay for a chat? Shocked, but not unpleasantly so, Seras moved to a sofa near Integra's seat. Integra sighed in a deep, sad way. She had been feeling rather lonely; as of late… maybe it was Alucard's absence. She was still angry with him, but she had become so accustomed to his irksome little visits, the sound of his cold, resonating voice, that her existence had seemed rather desolate with no one to drive her up the wall. She had ordered him to stay away, and he could not disobey a direct order. Seras would have to suffice as company for now.

"Sir… how have you been feeling?"

Seras asked with care, her big red eyes darting to her Master's Master's stomach. Seras had been delighted when first informed that Integra was pregnant… there was no doubt that she would make a doting 'auntie'. Auntie Seras. She silently fancied the sound of it. A little baby toddling about the manor was an exciting thought.

"As well as can be expected. I've been feeling a bit more normal, albeit heavier. I guess I'm getting used to lugging a fetus around my midriff."

From what could be gathered, she didn't sound too excited. A normal mother would have cooed delightedly about having a child and what joy it would bring. Integra was stoic as she spoke of her heir to be. Not much else could be expected, really. Integra had never been the type of person to display severe emotion. Integra turned to Seras, her blue eyes flashing with curiosity.

"Tell me… how has Alucard been faring?"

Integra couldn't put her finger on why she had the sudden impulse to ask this. Seras merely stared for a moment, almost shocked at her Master's inquiry of Alucard.

"I don't know, really…" She said. "I haven't seen much of him. Keeps to his room mostly. And when I have seen him, he never really wanted to talk to me. I think he's sulking about what he did…"

Integra's gaze suddenly sharpened, her lips forming a straight, angry line. Immediately Seras knew she had let something slip. Sera's eyes widened into that 'deer in the headlights' expression. Integra merely glowered.

"He… He told you?" Integra asked, her voice grave. It was not so much a question as it was a command for her to answer.

"Yes." Seras squeaked, now very intimidated by the leader of Hellsing. Would she possibly be punished for her knowledge? Integra was known to be quite severe…

Integra was rather shocked that Alucard had chosen to convey such intimate knowledge to his fledgling. How dare he! It was supposed to be a secret. Seras would have to be added to the circle of those who knew… the circle now counted four. Integra, Alucard, Walter and now Miss Victoria knew of how Integra had been abominably defiled by her servant. Integra brought her hand to her forehead, rubbing irritably.

"You must promise that you will not tell another soul of these occurrences. You are sworn to secrecy."

"Yes, Sir." Said Seras, her blonde locks bobbing as she nodded solemnly.

"You may leave now, Officer Victoria. I will send for you if I require your services."

That was her cue for escape. Seras stood, nodding in an obedient sort of way, before exiting the library without another word. Integra's thoughts took a turn to Alucard. Seras had mentioned that he had been… moping. Was it possible he was suffering just as much as she was? Perhaps he regretted what he had done… perhaps there was a shred of humanity in him after all.

* * *

Christmas morning. A gray, half light streamed through the window. A groggy Integra turned her head away from the offending light, burying her face in a soft down pillow. Light bad. Hide in dark. Her mind was fuzzy as she slowly awoke from a long slumber. It was almost 11:00 am. Merry Christmas, Integra. Her present to herself was getting to sleep in as late as she had wished. It had felt good, almost rejuvenating, to curl up in bed and have no obligations for which she needed to wake up. 

She moved her hand along her nightstand table, fishing for her glasses. Instead, her fingers met a small, square package, no bigger than a tin of sardines. She grabbed the little thing curiously, and inspected it with her bad eyes. It appeared to be a little rectangular box, wrapped in black paper and tied with a red ribbon. Grabbing her glasses, she put them upon her face, her interest immediately turning back to the package, which she ripped open inquisitively.

Cigars. It was a small box of fine Cuban cigars. Deprived for four months of them, she could sniff the tobacco on the air almost as soon as she had ripped off the wrapping paper and ribbon. Opening the box, she found it contained five neatly rolled, thick cigars. They smelled so good. Inside was also a small piece of paper. Grabbing the paper, she unfolded it to reveal a little note. In neat, loopy black letters, it read;

'Cigars for a woman who makes me burn.

Go ahead and have one. You know you want to.

Merry Christmas.'

Integra sighed, sticking one of the cigars between her lips, hurriedly fishing for a lighter. Igniting the end, she puffed contentedly. One cigar wouldn't hurt… She closed her eyes in euphoria as she savored the taste of the smoke on her tongue and lips and in her lungs. Ahh… bliss. Needless to say, she immediately knew whom this little trifle was from. Alucard. She blew a puff of smoke from between her lips. Undead bastard. He became harder to hate when he gave gifts like this.

* * *

An important note... I would like some suggestions on how the baby should look... but more importantly, suggestions of names for the baby. It would help a whole lot:D 

Again, thanks for all the feedback I have been getting. Wahoo. I love it when I get comments.

I hope this chapter is sufficent.

I don't own Hellsing. But you already know that.

Cheers,

-Kimi-Taco.


	13. This is not forgiveness

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Here is a chapter to keep you busy. Wahoo. I hope you like this one... it has some important stuff. Enjoy! Read and Review!

* * *

March. It was March already. Three months had passed since Christmas, and now the full affects of pregnancy were beginning to show. Integra felt positively swollen. Like a balloon growing ever bigger, until she would eventually pop. At seven months pregnant, there was no mistaking that she was with child. Along with her new, more curvy (At least, around the stomach) form, came the inevitable purchase of the dreaded maternity clothes. It wasn't nearly as bad as Integra had expected… but still. Most of the things she wore these days were of soft, stretchy material in pale pinks, blues, purples and greens. Bright colors. Gentle colors. Motherly colors. Her black and navy and olive hued suits had to be abandoned until she could get her stomach back to herself. But for now, she was forced to lounge around in yoga pants and tee shirts. 

These days, Integra kept to her room more and more. She didn't feel the need to go out into public. A camera had even been set up in her room so that she didn't need to attend the Protestant knight's conferences in person. Via web cam, she was able to view and take part in the meetings from her own comfy chair. The only time when she really left the manor was when the inevitable check up came about, but all the news had been good. The baby was fine. The mother was fine. All would be well.

'Growwwwwwwwwwwwwllll…' Integra's tummy gave a sickly moan.

"Shit… not again." She groaned groggily, her stomach doing summersaults within her. Food. She needed food. Her nightly raids of the kitchen were becoming more and more frequent. After all, she was eating for two. She swung her swollen feet over the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes and slipping on her glasses, half awake as she shuffled down to the kitchen. Why? Why did she have to get hungry in the middle of the night? She may as well just have a pantry permanently installed into her closet. She could do with having crumpets and biscuits at hand all the time.

Shuffle shuffle shuffle… Integra traipsed warily down the stairs. Stairs became harder and harder. As it grew more difficult to see over her tummy, it was hard to know where exactly she was stepping. Shuffle shuffle… WHAM! Integra overstepped a stair, and her foot gave way beneath her, she tumbled backwards, her foot twisting in a way that human anatomy should not be bent. She was sent sprawling onto the floor, a low, pained moan escaping her lips, along with a few words that would have made a sailor blush.

"SHIT!" She swore through gritted teeth, her ankle throbbing in pain, as she lay helpless on her back. "FUCKING SHIT! GODDAMN STAIR!" Reaching down, she felt her ankle. No broken bones. Thank god. But there was definitely something wrong with it. Most likely a sprain or strain or something of that nature. She squirmed a bit, trying to prop herself up, but the bulge of her stomach and the pain in her leg would not allow her. She moaned loudly, as she tried to get to her feet again.

A dark shadow phased through the wall. Alucard. He was here. He loomed tall over her like a vulture, staring down with his blood red eyes at Integra. She returned a defiant gaze, her expression mixing agony with utter loathing.

"How dare you be here! Against my orders… oww… you come to me so brazenly! You… owww… go now!"

Alucard stared down at her. It was almost poetic, really. His master, lying on the floor, helpless. His eyes were locked onto hers, his gaze much kinder than his usual leer.

"I cannot leave. I am bound to your family by the bonds of deep magic. Though you gave me an order to never speak to you again, you are in immediate danger. As a servant of the great Hellsing bloodline, I must protect you. The black magic that binds me to you is a higher power than an order you may give me. I must therefore be here to aid you."

Alucard stared at her, his eyes fixed on the woman situated on the floor in front of him. Integra. He hadn't been in her presence for…. For many months. Sure, he could watch her, but only from a distance. Watching her was nothing like standing next to her, like being in the same room as her. She emanated power like a furnace radiates heat. Her strength was glorious to bask in. He had missed that strength… he had missed her.

Integra stopped her squirming, staring up at her servant. This was such a compromising position. A large part of her wanted to snarl and refuse his help. But part of her, part of her was happy to see him again. He was such a bastard… but she had lived with him for so long, Alucard had become a part of her life that she was used to. She was used to his insidious laugh, used to his smirking and teasing, used to his vampiric tendencies, the smell of stale blood that lingered about him, and the smear of red that sometimes stained his cheek after a fight. He was in no way forgiven for practically raping her, but she would allow him to assist her. Her better judgement outweighed her fury. She may have been there till morning had he not intervened. She sighed in a defeated way. She was too tired, too pregnant, and in too much pain to fight with him.

"Very well then. You may help me up."

Alucard knelt down, his arms gently snaking beneath her knees and beneath her back. He scooped her up as if she were a featherweight heavy, cradling Integra gently in his capable arms. It was almost strange. Arms that ripped through flesh and tore away sinew and bone were now so tenderly lifting up his injured master and her unborn child. She rested her head against his shoulder, her blonde, uncombed hair spilling over his black suit jacket, because he was minus his large red coat. He smelled just the way she remembered. Faintly metallic, like blood. It was a comforting smell. A smell she had been familiar with since she was eleven years old. It was so strange, feeling neither breath nor heartbeat in his chest.

Alucard wore a stoic look as he carried Integra back to her room. He seemed to have misplaced his usual grin, and in its stead was left a morose sort of look. Almost a frown, but not quite. They said nothing in the uncomfortable lapse in conversation as he carried her back to her bedroom, opening the door and laying her gently down on the bed. Integra sighed as she was set down. Her ankle still throbbed like anything, but at least she was comfortable. Alucard fell to his knees in a most unexpected gesture. He piously knelt before her bed, his hair hanging in his face.

"Master… I'm sorry. I can't express what I feel better than that. Forgive me, Integra. Forgive me."

She stared at him for a long moment. Her eyes hardened and her lips tugged downward in a frown.

"You know I can never fully forgive you. The damage you have done is permanent. You took my virginity, and left me with a child. This heir will be a constant reminder of the pain I have suffered by you. You don't know how much you hurt me. You have gone too far, and overstepped your boundary as my protector, and have become something else entirely. You were supposed to keep me safe, but you have wounded me more grievously than any sword or gun could have." A sigh escaped her lips, her eyes angry and sad at the same time.

"You are, however, released from your punishment. You are allowed to come and go in my presence as you please, as you once did. You can read my thoughts, so I will not say that I didn't miss your company. You are not forgiven, but I will not dwell on what has passed. I only wish for things to go back to normal… or as normal as it can be in this hell hole." She rubbed her temples irritably, a wave of pain passing over her, her ankle twinging in agony.

He looked up, his eyes surprisingly gentle. Their red depths glimmered with a grateful expression. Integra was almost shocked. Had he pined more than she expected? It would certainly seem so. He was not wont to show this much emotion.

A weight felt lifted when she had said that his punishment was terminated. He knew she would never truly get over what he had done. Integra was stubborn, proud, and could hold a terrible grudge. But at least she was merciful enough to allow him back into her life, in whatever small way he could be.

"Thank you, master."

He said softly, true gratefulness reverberating in his deep, quiet voice. Alucard turned to leave the room without another word.

Integra stared at him as he stood and turned his back to go. But suddenly, her eyes flew wide open as she felt a hard thumping against her lower abdomen. "The baby! It's… kicking!" Before Alucard had drawn himself too far away, she reached out and instinctively grabbed his gloved hand, placing it against her stomach.

A soft thumping could be felt against the wall of her bloated tummy. The baby was alive and strong. It was the first time she had felt it actually kick. She had gotten used to the child twisting in her womb as unborn babies are wont to do, but kicking was a new sensation for her. All ankle pain forgotten, she lay there, with her and Alucard's hand against her stomach, feeling the rhythmic thumping of their child's feet against her uterus wall. Her stoic face gave way to a gentle, motherly grin. She couldn't help it. She was only human, after all. No matter how icy she may be, she was only mortal, and not above mortal sentimentality.

Alucard marveled silently at the little life that stirred within her. The baby… his baby was moving. He silently promised himself that somehow, he would make up for how he had wronged Integra. He promised he would be as good a protector… as good a father as he could be to this child. He would prove he was capable of love, and worthy of forgiveness. Maybe one day his feelings would not go unrequieted.

"She's going to be just like her mother. She feels so strong."

Integra's head turned to him, a puzzled look glittering in her blue eyes. She raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

"She?" She asked quizzically.

Alucard loomed over the heavily pregnant Integra, a smile crossing over his features. It was a gentle sort of smile, laced with a hint of fey teasing. Bravely, he reached out and tucked her soft blonde hair behind her ear, his other hand still on her night gown clad stomach. She didn't swat him away, allowing him the simple pleasure of fixing her hair for her. She smiled back, in a tired, woebegone way, waiting for an explanation.

"It's going to be a girl."

* * *

There. I decided they are going to have a little baby girl. So there! 

I really need name suggestions. Do you people have any good ones? Here are some I have found. I want a name with a meaning behind it. Tell me if any of these are good.

Avariella: Means strong woman  
Bree: Strong, virtuous, honorable  
Jerica: A strong, gifted ruler  
Isolde: Fair ruler  
Aceline: Noble at birth  
Armina: Noble  
Keaira: Dark one

This is all I have now, but I am open to any suggestions and comments.

I need imput. Thanks a bunch!

As always,

-Kimi-Taco


	14. The List

Chapter 14 for you! Here it is. I hope you enjoy! Keep the baby's name suggestions coming... I really like getting feedback about names.

* * *

"Working? Last time I was here, you didn't have any work to do." Alucard phased through the door, a silver platter of lemon tarts balanced on one of his hands. The silver would have hurt him, had he not been wearing his gloves.

Integra sat at her new oaken desk, her head bent over a paper as she penned something with a determined look gleaming in her eyes. Did she always do work? It would seem so.

"You were only here five minutes ago, Alucard. I could have started working in those five minutes." Integra mumbled irritably

"Indeed. And so it would seem." Alucard teased with a wily grin, and a twinkle in his eyes, setting the tray of tarts on the corner of her desk. Integra had sent him to get tarts. It seems such a menial task to be done for a supreme ruler of the undead, but with no other work to be had, Alucard figured that keeping himself busy wasn't too bad of an endeavor… especially if it was to keep Integra happy.

Almost all had returned to normal at the Hellsing manner, albeit Integra's size. Alucard and Integra were fighting like an old married couple again, Alucard pelting her with his cheeky remarks, and Integra keeping him in line with the occasional tongue-lashing. Though what he had done to her had not been forgotten, and likely would never be, Integra did not want to dwell on it. She only wanted to be happy… or at least as happy as she had been before this whole ordeal. During the past month or so, Alucard had kept close to Integra. When he wasn't slumbering in his coffin, he was hovering around his master, keeping her company as she did work into the late hours of the night. At first it had been convenient… cute almost, to have Alucard shadowing her like an eager little puppy. It was useful to have him bring her things… more often than not, food. Walter was never up as late as she was, and so it was nice to have some one to fetch her things. But all the doting got annoying very quickly… he would help her down stairs, and open doors for her, and pull out her chair before she sat… honestly! She was pregnant, not infirm! She could do things for herself.

Alucard had been obediently following her around all this time for many a reason. Part of which, he wanted to compensate for all the time he had been without her. He had missed his master, plain and simple. The second of which, he wanted to prove to her that he could be, it his own way, kind. His sort of kindness was task oriented, doing works to make his master happy, even though as of late she seemed to grow ever more displeased with him.

"You may go now, Alucard."

Integra waved her hand irritably at him, as if dismissing him.

"Do I annoy you, Master?"

"I'm nine months pregnant, Alucard. We pregnant women are prone to hormone shifts. In three seconds, I may have the impulse to blow the brains out of your head."

Alucard chuckled, his cold, dead sounding laugh reverberating in the room. It was a chilling sound, but Integra didn't even prickle. Sometimes she seemed so… emotionless. Like nothing bothered her. Her impenetrable shell had been put back around her. She had built her icy cocoon around herself once more. This was not the weeping woman Alucard had witnessed almost nine months ago. She was Integra again, a maiden strong as steel and cold as ice.

"Why must you hover around me so? Leave me, at once."

"No."

Integra sighed wearily. "Fine. I have neither the intention nor the patience to argue with you. I'm busy."

Integra reached for a cookie, her arm stretching to the corner of her desk, as she grabbed a tart. Her elbow shifted the document she had been writing furiously on, and it slid off the desk and onto the floor.

"Bugger…" Integra mumbled irritably, standing up, to get the document that had fallen. Walking over to where it lay, she tried to crouch down to grab it. Her stomach was too big for her to bend over and get the paper. She squatted, bent, leaned, and reached, but try as she might, there was no comfortable way that she could reach the paper on the floor. Damn stomach. Integra growled in frustration, baring her teeth at the disobedient paper.

"Need help… Master?" Alucard teased, his eyes glittering in a feral way as he watched the humorous sight before him. Watching a heavily pregnant woman try to grab a piece of paper off of the floor was most amusing.

Integra scowled at Alucard, her cold eyes darting up to his face to meet him with their icy stare.

"Shut up, Asshole. I'm fine." She said as she completed another failed attempt to grab the paper.

Alucard, being the cocky nosferatu he was, walked up to his master, bent down with the ease and grace that only he possessed, and picked up the parchment in a teasing way. Instead of giving her the paper directly however, he eyed it for a moment curiously.

"What's this?" He asked coyly, red eyes flitting over the page.

" Isabeau, Isolde, Keaira, Avariella, Bree, Jerica, Aceline." He read the list aloud curiously. "Names, Integra? Are these names for the baby? You are nine months pregnant, and only now you are beginning to consider what to christen your child? I never thought you were one to procrastinate."

Integra went back to her chair, sitting down in an indignant manner. "I have been considering them for many months… I just felt like writing down ones I liked." A frown laced her lips as she glared expectantly at her slave, waiting for her to return to her the paper. However, before he gave it back, he seized the pen from her desk, and in a flourish, scribbled another name on this list with a wily grin. Then he handed back the paper to Integra, a smirk on his lips as if he were proud of his accomplishment of suggesting a name.

Integra raised an eyebrow as she read the loopy black letters written in a practiced hand.

"Ricarda?" She questioned, almost doubtfully, a smile replacing the frown she wore two seconds earlier.

"It's a nice name, is it not?" He retorted, still grinning.

"Please… the only reason you suggested it is because it bears an uncanny resemblance to your own title, Alucard." She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to justify his decision.

"I admit… we vampires are rather vain creatures. The name Ricarda is an effeminate distortion of Richard, which means noble ruler. I think it would suit a child sired by me very well."

"You forget that you are not the only one whose blood runs through her veins. I was thinking of Isolde. I thought I would dig into my Welsh roots a bit. What do you think?"

"She's your child… why consult me? You said I would have no part in her life."

Integra sighed, folding up the paper and slipping it in the top drawer of her desk. She leaned back in the stiff, under-stuffed chair, the wood digging into her shoulder blades.

"I said that out of bitterness Alucard. All ends have yet to be fore seen in this ordeal." Integra rubbed her temples. "You will go on as my family's protector. Your role as a father figure has yet to be determined. There are so many possible dangers if my child were to know you as her true biological father. You know I cannot decide something of this magnitude right now, Alucard. Why even suggest a name if you were under the belief you would not be part of the child's life, anyway. Answer me that."

Alucard sighed in a breathy way, a strange sound to be heard from a creature that needs no breath to sustain him. Out of mere habit did he breathe in to sigh.

"Because I wanted there to be part of me in my daughter. I should be allowed to be my child's father."

Integra frowned, her voice taking on an irritable, snappish chord. "Do not be selfish, Alucard. What you may desire may not be best for the organization. If there is one thing I have learned about vampires, they lust for power. I fear my daughter may be a keyhole for you to gain control over the organization. It would be best if she saw you as I do. As a servant. If she looked up to you as father, you would have a rule over her, and could control the organization vicariously through her. There is so much danger in this situation that I did not foresee. I was blind and desperate not to get married, so I acted rashly, and without calculation. Maybe it would have been better if you hadn't gotten me pregnant again."

She sighed, resting her head in her hands. There was so much stress… so much thought that had to go into this. Her child's future needed to be carefully planned. There was so much to accomplish, and so little time to lay out the blueprints for how the next many years as a mother would go. It was all too much. Motherhood was becoming more and more complicated when she really had to think about it.

"Don't say that, Integra." Alucards eyes grew sad for a moment.

"What?" She snapped back.

"A child is a blessing. Do not be so quick to think of tossing it away."

"And this is coming from a man who kills remorselessly? Honestly, Alucard, are you going daft?"

Alucard chuckled, his lips splitting into that eerie, inhumanly wide grin of his. His smile vaguely reminded her of the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland, a book she had read as a young child. Alucard, the Cheshire cat. It suited him well.

"Integra, you know as well as I that I have been daft for a long time."

"I'll drink to that." Integra retorted playfully. "I'm going to bed, Alucard. Have a good evening."

Integra stood up from her chair, and walked to the door, where Alucard was already there, chivalrously holding it open for her. He reached out and stroked her hair as she passed through the doorway, feeling her soft, flaxen strands of blonde run across his gloved fingers.

"And to you as well, My master."

* * *

Okay... Hope you guys are happy. I wrote this really quickly as something to appease you guys.

Don't kill me if it isn't up to par. -braces herself for a multitude of flames-

I got a new suggestion I really liked. Ricarda. What do you think of it? So far Isolde is my winner... But I'm still open to suggestions! Keep em coming!

Cheers,

Kimi-Taco


	15. Beginnings

Hello there! Chapter 15 is up! Sorry if it may seem a little short... I may go back and re-furbish it before I write up the next chapter. Enjoy, people!

* * *

The smoldering cigarette between his lips trembled in so slight a way that it was barely noticable to the human eye. That was the only sign of worry or fear Alucard displayed as he leaned against the shut doorframe outside of Integra's room. He didn't usually wasn't wont to smoke such things… but in a high stress situation such as this, it was good to have something to concentrate on… something to at least partially absorb your thoughts. And the cigarette was it. Besides... it wasn't as if it would do him any harm. He was, after all, dead. He puffed in silence, his red eyes cast down to the floor. 

Alucard, Seras and Walter all stood in a line outside of Integra's doorway, waiting in silent anticipation. Seras bounced up and down on her heels in a nervous, frantic manner, muttering things to herself, and fooling with her unruly strawberry blonde hair. Walter stood in that quiet may of his, seemingly very calm, but the sweat brimming on his wrinkled brow would be incongruous to his placid display. Alucard stood stoically as he smoked, his lips trembling and his red eyes glinting with disquiet.

A loud scream was emitted from the room by which they stood, the whine terrible and pained. Seras openly prickled at the noise, bearing her fangs as she winced. The corners of Walter's mouth twitched, obviously disturbed. Alucard blew a smoke ring, his eyes smoldering with depth like the tip of the cigarette he smoked..

Moans. Screams. Inhuman noises of agony and pain. All three of them stood, waiting, hoping, and praying as the air was filled with loud screeches. It was almost like a wordless, wailing aria of pain, one voice ringing loud and clear in the depths of night.

Until suddenly….

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Another cry was heard, though much smaller, but still loud and clear. Seras jumped for joy, grinning like a madwoman. Walter emitted an audible sigh of relief, his tense figure becoming much less taut. The cigarette held between Alucard's pale, pearly fangs stopped trembling.

The child was born.

Integra had gone into labor nearly five hours ago. She had opted to have a midwife and doctor come to her house, so she could birth her child in the comfort and privacy of her own manor. This made things easier for her… but a lot harder on her staff. Her most faithful men... and woman had waited outside her door through the whole ordeal… listening to her moaning and wailing through it all as she was goaded on by the doctor and the midwife to push.

Finally, hours of her labor paid off. But it wasn't a half an hour after they had first heard the child crying until the three waiting staff members were let in. The first to exit Integra's chamber was a husky midwife, her bulky arms full of bloodied rags and sheets. Alucard couldn't help put muse at how delicious the scent was as she passed through the hallway, taking the linens to be washed. The doctor took his leave second and tipped his hat at the three of them as he walked from the room, curtly informing them that the baby was a beautiful, healthy girl.

Integra lay in her bed, leaning back on the pillows, sweat still trickling down her brow. Oh god… it had been terrible. Her whole lower region ached, her stomach, her abdomen, but epsecially the area between her thighs. She felt stretched, bruised, and above all, tired. But it had been a wonderful pain… one she had bore willingly for the little child that now lay asleep, cradled in her lap. It was a bittersweet thought… that such pain could bring forth such happiness. Integra's bespectacled blue eyes glittered with an unmatched joy… she didn't think she had been more happy… more proud in all her years. This was her heir… and what a weight would fall on her daughter's shoulders. But she would think no more on the darkening future of her and her daughter... right now was a time for only joy.

A squealing Seras very nearly bounced her way into the room, followed by a calm, warmly smiling Walter. Alucard loomed about the doorway for a while, waiting for a moment alone with Integra after the first congratulations were said. Seras cooed over the little sleeping baby stroking the new little girl's cheeks, and smoothing her mop of new, fine hair, and Walter grinned proudly and hugged Integra, kissing the little child on the forehead, and her mother on the cheek. Alucard stayed back, hanging near the edge of the room, as if wary of the new life within it.

They stayed for a while, but when all that there had to be said was spoken, Walter and Seras left, leaving Alucard, Integra, and the baby alone. They merely stared at each other for a moment, in understanding silence.

"Alucard… Come see your daughter." Integra directed in a calm, tired voice, a gentle smile on her lips.

Obediently, the vampire crossed the room, looking down at the little thing that slept so placidly in Integra's lap. The baby was as beautiful as the doctor had leaded her on to be... no... even moreso. She was asleep, and snugly bundled in a little one-sie and a powder blue blanket. A wispy, soft mop of blonde hair was nestled atop her head, framing her tiny, flushed face. Her skin was pale, very much like her father's, soft and supple, as the hide of a baby is wont to be. Already, some features that she had inherited from her parents could be discerned. The child had a pointy nose, like both her father and mother, and slightly wide mouth, something she would have gotten from her daddy. The baby stirred, moving her little head, and kicking her little feet before she opened her eyes. Yes… she had her mother's eyes. Brilliant, icy blue, like the sky refracting off freshly fallen snow. She indeed was a beautiful baby.

"May I hold my daughter?" Alucard asked, almost timidly, holding out his hands in a way that showed he was ready to receive his awakening baby. His voice was dulled to a quiet, low whisper, as if he were afraid that if he spoke too loud, the magic of the delicate situation would be dispelled. Indeed, meeting your new child for the first time was a monumentous occasion.

Integra smiled knowingly, lifting the child from her lap and depositing her in her father's strong, capable hands. Alucard gently brought the baby to his chest, holding her there for a while. The child stared curiously up at him, but did not whine or moan to go back to the comfort of her mother. It was almost as if she knew exactly who this new person was. Her father.

"What's her name, Integra?" He asked, rocking the child back and forth in a soothing way. The little girl merely stared up at her daddy, babbling in a serene, happy way.

Integra smirked in a mocking way. "Why don't you read my mind, Alucard?" She asked in a low, exhausted voice.

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

Integra shook her head, smiling. Alucard... she couldn't always understand him, but she figured that it was only natural. He was an enigma, a puzzle without a solution."You vampires are incomprehensible."

"The feelings are mutual, Master."

Integra cleared her throat. "Her name is Isolde. Isolde Rosalind Wilhelmina Hellsing."

Alucard's red eyes darted up to Integra, flashing with curiosity and… was it shock?

"Wilhelmina?" He asked, his attention suddenly directed away from the baby in his arms, to the mother who sat smugly in her bed.

Integra chuckled in a deep, tired way. "I knew that would be a name that you would not soon forget, Count. I couldn't name her Ricarda. Too much like Richard… and you know all the bad connotations that go along with that name. But I dwelled on what you said… she disserves a piece of her father in her… and what better way to honor her lineage than to honor her sire's past?"

"Those are days I do not wish to think upon, Integra. Dark were they." Alucard turned his face away from Integra's, his eyes focusing on his baby in an ashamed manner, not wanting to meet her icy, probing gaze.

A slight frown appeared on Integra's lips "And dark those days still are. Do not think I will let you so easily forget the blood you spilt in those years… Vlad. This child will become a reminder of the past to you as well as me."

Alucard sighed in a defeated way. He should have known that Integra would not go down without a fight. Wilhelmina. It was only a minor part of her name… but still. The baby would be a reminder of bad times for the two of them... She would remind Integra of how ill used she had been, and she would remind Alucard of how ill he had used other people in his long lifetime, not just Integra. But the joy that the new child would bring would greatly outweigh the sorrow that would be remembered. He shrugged, not wanting to peruse this aspect of the subject anymore.

Alucard looked down at his child, who was beginning to doze off again. "Little Mina… Honestly, Integra. I hadn't expected a name so… acknowledging of her parentage. What will parliament say?"

"I can always pull the, 'Wilhelmina Murray was a wife of a friend of my ancestor, I want to honor her.' card. I can assuredly say that all but the queen will buy it. In her old age, her Majesty is still as sharp as a tack. I don't know if the lineage of Isolde will slip past her. But I don't think she would be the one to put up a fuss about who the father of my child is. The knights however…"

"As long as word doesn't get out, your child will be safe from the caprice and ridicule of the world."

"Our child, Alucard." Said Integra decidedly. It was settled. She had decided. To let her daughter grow up deprived of a father figure would be terrible. Even if Alucard would not make the best daddy in the world, she would still let him be a part of his daughter's life. Obstacles would need to be overcome... but they would tackle them in due course. Right now, they had to decide what was truly best for the child.

Alucard walked over to the edge of the roomy bed, and sat down next to her, still cradling his daughter, his little baby Isolde. With one hand, the one that was not occupied with holding his daughter protectively to his breast, he gently tucked some of Integra's moonbeam hair, drenched with sweat from her face.She sighed softly as she felt the cool of his hand trace her burning cheek... his iciness was a welcome relief from the heat of her exhertions from childbearing.

"I'm so proud, Integra. Of you, of my daughter… of everything. She will be a marvelous ruler. She is most definitely a Hellsing. I smell it in her blood. Now...Get some rest. You are probably so tired after all that. You are, after all, only human."

Integra smiled at the almost gentle way Alucard fawned over her. It was endearing, really. Not in a sickly sweet sort of way, but in an unannounced, but totally genuine manner. He didn't scream "I'm the happiest undead father ever!" but there was a genuine sense of joy, coming from both mother and father, human and vampire, woman and man, master and servant. There would be peace… at least for a short while.

"I think she likes you, Alucard." Integra said drowsily, nodding in the direction of her child. The baby was nestled against Alucard's chest, her tiny hands gripping the front of his black waistcoat. Alucard couldn't help but smile.

"Would you mind taking her to the nursery, Alucard? I'm so tired…" Integra's voice was barely a whisper as she trailed off into sleep, her blue eyes fluttering shut in extreme fatigue. She had a right to be tired… she had just borne a child. If ever there was a more exhausting task for a woman to undertake, Integra couldn't think of it.

Alucard leant over the sleeping form of his master, kissing her gently on her forehead that was still slightly damp with sweat. "It would be my pleasure, Integra." He said as he left, standing up and walking out of the room with his sleeping child in arm. This would be the mark of something new. A new era had dawned on both of their lives, as well as a new life itself. He walked his baby into her new nursery, the whole room furnished in a scheme of gentle, earthy green. It was a good room... a soothing room. As he lay his sleeping daughter gently in the wooden crib, Alucard came to terms with the fact that nothing would ever be the same. Hellsing would be turned upside down by all these new beginnings.

* * *

So there you have it. Isolde Rosalind Wilhelmina (Pronounced Willamina) Hellsing. Isolde ended up being the winning name... I got the best feedback on it. No matter how much I liked the name Ricarda... there was no way I could justify naming Integra's child with a title that close to the one of her murderous uncle Richard. So Isolde it was. Oh... I really played up the 'Alucard is Dracula' thing here... I gave Big nods toward Bram Stoker, and little nods towards the manga volume 8. 

I hope you enjoyed this chapter... I guess it is a very definative part of the story. Read and Review, nice, shiny people!

As always,

Kimi-Taco


	16. Many Farewells

Here it is! The last chapter! A few twists... But I'm giving away nothing until you read it. Enjoy!

* * *

The past few weeks, a nightly ritual was established. Almost on cue, at about one in the morning, little Isolde would start howling at the top of her immature lungs, waking nearly the whole of the Hellsing establishment. At first, the crying had been very disruptive, but as the staff grew more and more sleep deprived, it became easier for them to slumber through the whole ordeal. 

Integra however, had always been a light sleeper, and regardless of how tired she was, would always wake when the child began to wail. But usually Alucard would go in to calm his daughter, and she needn't get out of bed. Alucard had been rather useful as of late. Since he was awake all night, he could usually placate Isolde when she awoke, not forcing Integra or Walter to scoot up out of bed to tend to her. He had even become rather proficient at changing nappies, and after a few failed attempts, he caught on quickly. Usually Isolde would only need to be rocked back to sleep, and Alucard would set her back in her cradle, and go to stalk about the manor in the usual way of his. But tonight was not one of those nights.

"WAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Little Isolde wailed and wailed, her pale cheeks flushed crimson from screaming. Alucard had tried everything to quiet her… he checked her diaper, rocked her back and forth, and dangled toys in front of her, even hummed a little. Isolde was less than pleased with his attempts, and kept on crying. Becoming exasperated, he set her back into her crib, thinking maybe she needed to just cry her unexplained anxiety out. He loomed over her crib, watching her closely as she continued to scream. Maybe he wasn't the most competent father ever. Who knew a baby would be so difficult?

* * *

"Bloody hell… not again." 

And agitated Integra was roused from her bed as Isolde kept screaming. What was wrong this time? A scowl laced her lips as she slipped her feet into some slippers, and slid her round, silver rimmed glasses over her half closed eyes. She never got much sleep, and now with a baby around, what rest she got had been decimated. Grumbling, Integra shuffled out of her bedroom in a pair of plain flannel pajamas, making her way to the baby's room. Opening the door, there she saw Alucard standing over Isolde's crib, doing what appeared to be absolutely nothing. Integra's frown deepened.

"What the hell? Haven't you been trying to calm her down! You're useless."

"Good evening to you too, Master. I think that maybe she needed to self soothe for once. I've tried everything."

Isolde stopped crying for a moment when she saw her mother walk into the room, and then promptly resumed wailing loud enough to raise the dead.

"Integra, I think she may have inherited your vocal chords." His lips were curled in that uncanny smirk of his as his daughter continued to scream even louder still. Integra merely returned his smirk with a weary frown, ignoring his blatant stab at her.

"You dolt, she's hungry. Give her over."

How she immediately knew this was beyond reason. Mothers are known to have some sort of sixth sense when it comes to children. Integra was no different in this aspect, no matter how cold and detached she was in comparison to other women. She held out her arms expectantly as Alucard lifted his baby gingerly out of her crib and deposited her into her mother's hands. Integra expertly tucked her baby close to her, balancing Isolde on her hip while she cradled her with one hand. With the other, she began to unbutton her top, finding it rather tricky to undo little buttons while holding a screaming baby.

"What are you doing?" Alucard asked, still grinning. Integra stared at him for a moment, deep purple bags under her icy blue eyes.

"Are you toying with me, or are you just daft? I'm feeding her. She's hungry, and I want to get to bed as soon as possible. I don't feel like running down to the kitchen to heat up some formula. And besides…." She said, concentrating on a particularly hard to unfasten button. "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

"Touché." Alucard replied flatly.

Her last remark was nearly venomous, laid on with the delicacy of a sledgehammer. If he wanted to be difficult, two could play at that game. Integra was too tired to put up with nonsense from her subordinate. Still struggling to undo her buttons, Alucard reached out with his cold spindly hands and popped the button out of the loop of her nightshirt for her.

"Let me help you with that."

Integra sighed and let him finish off her top for her. Once completely undone, Integra brought Isolde up to her breast, and she immediately stopped crying as she was allowed to suckle. Alucard looked on with an unreadable expression.

"Going to try to undo my pants next?" Integra added pointedly, obviously not in the best of spirits, or on the best of terms with the father of her child. Too tired to put on a façade of civility, she was going to let out her pent up frustration at a lack of sleep on Alucard. He was obviously treading on thin ice tonight… her words were sharp as needles, and her tired eyes dark with annoyance.

"Stop looking at me, and go do something useful." She snapped.

"What makes you think I'm ogling you? I could be looking at Isolde." Alucard grinned in that infuriatingly unsettling way of his.

"And I could be the queen of Thailand."

"You look a lot different."

It was true. Integra had always had a twiggy figure, even from a young age. She carried the gangly-ness of her youth into her twenties. But after the pregnancy, her body had self-modified. She had hips now, and curvy, feminine thighs. Not to mention the fact her breasts had swollen too. She didn't look like a little girl anymore.

Integra's lips twitched, her frown deepening, along with the wrinkles at the corners of her mouth. She turned her back to him, ignoring his comment. She didn't have time for this. She wasn't going to put up with his shenanigans. He took such pleasure in teasing her… maybe if she dodged his irksome comments he would go away and haunt someone else.

Alucard continued to smile. "Aww… Looks like someone's grumpy."

"Over five centuries old, and you have the maturity complex of a six year old."

"Life… or rather, unlife, cannot be taken too seriously. You'll only end up disappointed. The world is a bitter place, Integra. You think you know… you think your mere twenty two years have been bad… when you've been around as long as I have, you're bound to go a bit mad."

She raised an eyebrow, turning back to him. "A BIT mad?"

He chuckled, the deep noise reverberating in his throat in a languid way, almost like a cat purring.

"All is relative."

Integra sighed. When she sighed like that, something had been taxing her mind. Integra had different sighs for different occasions... a tired sigh, an annoyed sigh, a content sigh, and a contemplative sigh. Something had been troubling her. She pursed her lips for a moment, wondering if it was truly the right time. Sighing again, she decided it was a question best asked in the complete privacy of the twilight hours. Better sooner than later.

"Tell me Alucard… what is the exact reason my father locked you in that dungeon?"

Alucard blinked, almost surprised she had asked this. He showed no emotion however, his wily grin turning into a blank expression.

"I didn't know when you would actually ask me outright. I was locked away because your father was scared."

"Scared?" Integra repeated like a parrot, rocking Isolde back and forth in her arms.

"Yes. Arthur was frightened for himself, for his livelihood. He always feared that I would seek to somehow harm him, or to harm him through the ones he loved. In part, those fears were irrational, but his decision was a rather wise one. Your father… well…" Alucard chuckled, bearing his flashing white teeth.

"He was weak. Stronger than lesser men, yes… But not strong enough to be a Hellsing. He could run the organization proficiently, made decisions well, and was much loved by his staff and his peers. But he was frightened of me… of my power. I could see it in his eyes. And so, I disregarded him, to a point where I potentially could have been a danger to him, and his family. So I was locked away. But in a sense… I guess his fears have been confirmed. I've solicited his only daughter."

Isolde had fallen fast asleep in Integra's arms. She said nothing as she walked her slumbering baby back over to the crib, gently laying her down into the soft, cushioned mattress. Integra began to button up her nightshirt once more.

"And what manner of master am I, Alucard?"

"I remember telling you, about ten years ago, in that dungeon that you were your father's daughter. In a way, what I said was true. When I first saw you, I knew you were stubborn like Arthur was. But you are so much different from your father. You fear nothing… you desire nothing… you are passionate in an unrequited way toward your organization and your men, but you undervalue yourself. You are a woman of steel, who rules with an iron fist. I respect you more than any other human alive."

Integra looked away, Her eyes dark and sad. "I see…" She said, her voice a bare, troubled whisper. She whipped around, avoiding his gaze as she turned to face the doorway. "Follow me…" She said, her face still turned away from him as she exited the room, wandering down the long, dark hallway. She tread down flights and flights of staircases, Alucard obediently at her heels, though only one person's steps resounded in the hallways. She stopped in front of a large, black doorway in the deepest dungeon of the Hellsing Manor, where she had found him… or rather, where they had found each other.

Integra opened the door, finally looking up at Alucard. Her blue eyes were strong, but immeasurably sad.

"I've been thinking Alucard… about the future. All is so uncertain. I didn't know what I was saying when I promised you would be a part of Isolde's life. I was delusional with joy at her birth, and didn't comprehend the gravity of the situation. You…. You just can't be a part of her childhood. If she knew that you were her father…. If she knew who you were, and what you have done…." Integra rubbed her eyes. "I can't let her live like I have. I was pushed into a world of adults too young. And what you told me confirmed it. Isolde cannot grow up… knowing all the evil in this world. You don't know how I have suffered. I am a broken woman, Alucard. The hurts I nurse inside of me have forced me to alienate myself from the world. I may seem a woman of steel, but inside, I am brittle as glass. Isolde does not diserve the same fate as I, the fate of never being truly loved or understood."

Alucard was shocked. He knew what she meant to do. He shook his head. "Don't… Integra, I can prove to you that I can be a good guardian…. I…"

"No. Alucard, you have already proven what manner of man you are." Tears threatened to pour over in her eyes.

"Alucard, I order you into the dungeon. The seals will keep you in place until you will next be released. I entreat you to do as I have said, and you are bound to my word, by the blood that runs through my veins, the noble blood of Hellsing."

Alucard looked down at her, tears threatening to fall from her blue, blue eyes. It wasn't meant to be this way… they were supposed to be happy together. They were supposed to raise their daughter together… But nothing had ever had a truly happy ending for him. The evil he had done had been repaid a thousand fold in all that he had suffered.

"So… you are afraid. But not of me. You fear your daughter may suffer your fate. Fear for another is the most righteous kind there is. You are willing to do what is necessary. You are a stronger woman than you know. You may be as strong as steel, but your actions are governed by the human blood that courses through you."

"Goodbye, Man who was once called count. I fear I may never see you again."

Tears poured over from her eyes. She didn't even know why she was crying… their love had been a bittersweet one. There had always been frustration, misunderstandings and sorrow… but through it all, she had loved Alucard, and he her, as much as either of their broken souls was capable of love. She took a few tentative steps foreword, and wrapped her slender arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. He smelled faintly of blood, dust, and old parchment. It would be a smell she would probably never know again. It was a comforting smell she remembered from her childhood. Alucard had been as much a part of her life ten years ago as he was now... but it was not meant to last forever.

Alucard was slow to reciprocate the hug, but in turn, he put his arms around her, and kissed the top of her head, his pallid, frosty lips like ice on her golden crowned head. His hair, black as the deep tendrils of the midnight sky fell against her sunlit blonde locks. Day and Night. There is not one without the other, and yet they are of two worlds. They cannot inhabit the same sky. Lovers doomed from the very beginning.

"Goodbye, Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, woman of blood and steel. I promise you will never be forgotten. Take good care of my daughter." Alucard's red eyes began to moisten, their lower lids rimming with blood. Integra. He would miss her, the way the sun misses the last summer flower. The sun, a being of immortality, of burning passion, and the flower, unsurpassingly beautiful and pure, but in the end, only ephemeral.

For a long moment they held each other, Integra's face against Alucard's chest, and his nose buried in her soft, flaxen hair. But eventually, the serenity of the embrace faded, and they let go of one another, not having realized how long they had stayed in one another's arms, her fists clutching to his coat desperatly, and his hands running though her hair. They let go. Their most loving, pure, and tender touch would be their last. Integra's was still crying, but Alucard had not yet shed a tear, holding them back with all his might. He couldn't cry… in front of her.

"You will be guardian to your daughter when the time is right. If there was another way, I would have chosen that path instead of this.Goodbye, Alucard."

"Goodbye, Integra."

And with that last farewell, Alucard wandered into the abyssal crypt, and Integra shut the door behind him, the heavy thump of the shutting door resounding like a requiem for the death of a wish. It was done. Alucard was sealed away, for god knows how long. There would be a time when he would return, but Integra feared it would be after her death. But all was for the best. Integra wiped her reddened eyes on the sleeve of her flannel nightshirt, before slipping her glasses back over her nose. She must carry on as she has always done. She couldn't let her sentiments get in the way of what was best for the future of her daughter and of Hellsing.

After all, she was obliged to serve God, King and Country, not herself.

* * *

Afterward. 

Integra lay in her bed, her eyes tired with pain and sorrow. Twenty years had passed. Twenty years since he had been sealed away. And already… she was dying. At only 42, it was hard to imagine. But all the cigarettes had caught up with her. Severe lung cancer was taking its toll. It was only a matter of time before she passed. Her daughter, Isolde sat at her mother's bedside, tears rolling down her face.

"Mother…" Isolde whispered softly, smoothing Integra's hair.

"It is my time to part with this earth, my daughter. All must die, from King to peasant. It is the way of life. Honor me by carrying on my legacy. There is something you must know… It is all written down in accordance with the plans I have laid for you. When I pass, Miss Victoria will give you some very important documents. You must follow their instructions with all due accuracy. I know you are ready to bear the burden and the honor that is the Hellsing Organization."

Isolde swallowed the lump in her throat, as tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't want her mother to die… the strong woman that now lay helpless before her had always been a guiding light to her. And now that star was fading… and she must make her own path. A journey lay before Isolde Rosalind Wilhelmina Hellsing, a path she was destined to take from her birth.

"I'm so sorry, my daughter. Sorry that I must leave you this way. My time is spent, but yours has only just begun. You are ready to become the leader your birth commanded of you."

Integra's sharp blue eyes were laden with sadness. Even with all the years behind her, her eyes were still bright, like a cold winter frost. She knew her death was nigh. Her head sunk in the pillow, her strength waning.

"I'm so tired, Isolde…." Integra whispered softly, before her blue eyes fluttered shut, and she fell asleep.

She never woke up.

And all that Integra had said would happen did. Seras Victoria gave Isolde the documents that Integra had written. Many of them were about particular protocol of the organization, and how it was to be run, different ceremonies and occasions that would need to be observed. But the last page was something all together different.

"Isolde," It began.

"If you are reading this, I have passed away. This paper is perhaps the most important of all I have left for you. Down in the deepest dungeon, the one I have prohibited you from going near, let alone entering, is a monster. He has been a servant of Hellsing for many generations. To awaken him, you must feed him your blood. This will revive his ties to the ancient blood of Hellsing, and he will be bound to serve you. You may have heard rumors of the vampire Alucard. The monster in the dungeon is he. When he awakens, please inform him I have passed on to the next life, and that the time has come for him to fulfill his duty. It is of the utmost importance that this be done. I made a promise to him that I intend to keep.

With all the love that I possess,

Your mother, Integra."

Isolde wandered down the hallway determinedly. She knew what had to be done. Her mother had been very explicit that it was her express wish that the vampire be awakened. There was no fear in Isolde's ice blue eyes. This was what had to be done. At the bottom level where the dungeon was, she clenched her fist around the handle to the large, dark door, surprised to find it swung open easily, giving way for her to enter.

She entered the dark, dank room, and looked around for a moment, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Suddenly, in the corner of the room, Isolde spotted a corpse, the dead rotted thing leaning against the wall, long white hair spouting from its skull, its face sunken with age and decay.. Approaching it, uncertain of how to carry on further, she pulled a knife from the pocket of her black suit, and made a neat little slit on her wrist. Tentatively holding it out in the direction of the body, some blood seeped from the wound and onto the corpse's face. Slowly, like clockwork, a change took place. Bone gave way to pale, cold flesh, the dead creature slowly becomming whole once more. Bright red eyes leered at Isolde from formerly empty sockets, and the vampire bent over her wrist to lap up the blood from the wound. When no more was yielded, The thing looked up at her.

An eerie, toothy grin appeared on the creature's face. Before him stood a tall, slim girl of about twenty, with long, silvery blonde hair, pale skin, pointed features, a hard expression, and those cold, ice blue eyes. She looked just like her mother... but there was a bit of her father in her as well.

Before she said anything, Alucard bowed before her, his hair, pale with age, falling in his face.

"At last we meet, Isolde Rosalind Wilhelmina Hellsing, My master, and my daughter."

* * *

That's all folks! The series has come to a close. I hoped you liked it. I wanted to do something rather tragic for the ending, because we all know that Alucard and Integra could never have a 'happily ever after' type romance. So yeah. 

Thanks for all the support throughout this whole project. I'm really glad so many people liked this story. I may write a sequal, but I may not. Who knows?

Much love to you all,

-Kimi-Taco


End file.
